# List of kanji radicals by frequency

This is a simplified table of Japanese kanji visual components (graphemes) that does away with all the archaic forms found in the Japanese version of the Kangxi radicals.
The 214 Kanji radicals are technically classifiers as they are not always etymologically correct, but since linguistics uses that word in the sense of "classifying" nouns (such as in counter words), dictionaries commonly call the kanji components radicals. As dictionaries have moved from textbooks to interactive screens, the term "radicals" seems to now be used for any kanji component used in a visual search.

## Most common radicals

There are two readings for a kanji: On'yomi and Kun'yomi. On'yomi is a reading derived from the Chinese way of reading, Kun'yomi is the original Japanese reading.
| The six radicals that occur the most frequently (in order of frequency) and occur in one quarter of the 2136 Jōyō kanji: 口 (くち) (3 strokes) mouth, opening (not to be confused with box radical 囗) Kun: くち On: コウ、 ク 水/氵 (みず) (4/3 strokes) water Kun: みず、 みず- On: スイ 木 (き) (4 strokes) tree Kun: き、 こ- On: ボク、 モク 人/亻 (ひと) (2 strokes) person, human Kun: ひと、 -り、 -と On: ジン、 ニン 手/扌 (て) (4 strokes) hand Kun: て、 て-、 -て、 た- On: シュ、 ズ 心/忄/⺗ (こころ) (4 strokes) heart radical, spirit, mind Kun: こころ、 -ごころ On: シン | Fourteen radicals that together with the above occur in half of Jōyō kanji: 言 (こと) (7 strokes) word, say, speech / to speak Kun: い.う、 こと On: ゲン、 ゴン 日 (ひ, ニチ) (4 strokes) sun, day, Sunday, time, counter for days Kun: ひ、 -び、 -か On: ニチ、 ジツ 糸 (いと) (6 strokes) silk/thread Kun: いと On: シ 幺 (いとがしら) (3 strokes) (a variant of ⽷) short thread radical Kun: ちいさい On: ヨウ 肉 (にく) (6 strokes) meat/organ, flesh Kun: しし On: ニク 月 (つき) (4 strokes) moon, month, Monday, period, counter for months Kun: つき On: ゲツ、 ガツ 土 (つち) (3 strokes) ground, soil, earth, ground, Turkey Kun: つち On: ド、 ト ⻌ (しんにょう) (3 strokes) (a variant of ⾡) go/road radical, walk, to advance 艹 (艸/草/くさ) (3 strokes) grass/plant radical 宀 (屋根/やね, ウ/ウ冠/うかんむり) (3 strokes) roof/crown radical, roof (house), shaped crown On: ベン、 メン 貝 (かい) (7 strokes) shell, property, wealth Kun: かい On: バイ 女 (おんな, ジョ) (3 strokes) woman / female Kun: おんな、 め On: ジョ、 ニョ、 ニョウ 阝 (⻖/阜/こざと) (⻏/邑/おおざと) (3 strokes) wall/hill/village radical (left side) large village radical (right side) place, left village radical, country, city Kun: こざと 金 (かね/キン) (8 strokes) gold/metal, mineral Kun: かね、 かな-、 -がね On: キン、 コン、 ゴン | Thirty-two radicals that together with the above occur in three quarters of Jōyō kanji: 一 (イチ/いち) (1 stroke) one Kun: ひと-、 ひと.つ On: イチ、 イツ 刀/刂 (かたな, トウ) (2 strokes) knife, sword Kun: かたな、 そり On: トウ Variants: 刂 (つくり) right side of the kanji 十 (ジュウ, と) (2 strokes) ten, complete Kun: とお、 と、 そ On: ジュウ、 ジッ、 ジュッ 田 (た, デン) (5 strokes) rice field / rice paddy Kun: た On: デン Variants: 田 (へん) left side of the kanji 火/灬 (ひ, カ) (4 strokes) fire Kun: ひ、 -び、 ほ- On: カ Variants: 火 (へん), 灬 (あし) left side of the kanji, bottom of the kanji 大 (おお, ダイ) (3 strokes) big, very Kun: おお-、 おお.きい、 -おお.いに On: ダイ、 タイ 山 (やま, サン) (3 strokes) mountain Kun: やま On: サン、 セン Variants: 山 (へん), かんむり left side of the kanji, top of kanji 食 / 飠 (しょく) (9 strokes) eat, food, to eat Kun: く.う、 く.らう、 た.べる、 は.む On: ショク、 ジキ Variants: 食=飠 (へん) left side of the kanji 車 (くるま) (7 strokes) vehicle, cart, car, wheel Kun: くるま On: シャ Variants: 車 (へん) left side of the kanji 彳 (行人/ぎょうにん) (3 strokes) walking/going person radical , stop, linger, loiter, ,step, stride, street, to go Kun: たたず.む On: テキ Variants: 彳 (へん), ⾏ (かまえ) left side of the kanji, enclose the kanji 目 (め) (5 strokes) eye radical, class, look, insight, experience, care favor Kun: め、 -め、 ま- On: モク、 ボク Variants: 目 (へん), 目 (かんむり), left side of the kanji, top of kanji 雨 (あめ) (8 strokes) rain Kun: あめ、 あま-、 -さめ On: ウ Variants: 雨 (かんむり) top of kanji 犬 / 犭 (いぬ, ケン) (4/3 strokes) dog Kun: いぬ、 いぬ- On: ケン Variants: 犭 (へん) left side of the kanji 王 (おう) (4 strokes) king radical, rule, magnate On: オウ、 -ノウ 玉 (たま) (5 strokes) ball, jewel / jewelry Kun: たま、 たま-、 -だま On: ギョク 石 (いし) (5 strokes) stone Kun: いし On: セキ、 シャク、 コク Variants: 石 (へん) left side of the kanji 力 (ちから) (2 strokes) power radical, strength, strong, strain, bear up, exert Kun: ちから On: リョク、 リキ、 リイ 衣/衤 (ころも) (6/5 strokes) garment, clothing / clothes, dressing Kun: ころも、 きぬ、 -ぎ On: イ、 エ Variants: 石=衤(へん) left side of the kanji 弓 (ゆみ) (3 strokes) bow ( in archery, violin ) Kun: ゆみ On: キュウ Variants: 弓(へん) left side of the kanji 竹/⺮ (たけ) (6 strokes) bamboo Kun: たけ On: チク Variants: ⺮ (かんむり) on the top of kanji 又 (また) (2 strokes) again, right hand, on the other hand Kun: また、 また-、 また.の- On: ユウ ⽁ / 攵 (のぶん) (4 strokes) action radical, folding chair radical, strike, activity, to strike, hit On: ホク Variants: ⽁ (つくり), 攵 (つくり) on the right side of the kanji 夂 (ふゆがしら) (3 strokes) winter radical, to follow, late, delayed Kun: しゅう On: チ 示/礻 (しめす) (5/4 strokes) show on an altar radical, altar, festival, religious service, indicate, point out, express, display Kun: しめ.す On: ジ、 シ Variants: 示=礻 (へん) the left side of the kanji 酉 (とり) (7 strokes) bird radical, wine / alcohol, sake jar, bird, west, sign of the bird, 5-7PM, tenth sign of Chinese zodiac Kun: とり On: ユウ Variants: 酉 (へん) left side of the kanji 囗 (くに) (3 strokes) (not to be confused with mouth radical 口) box, or enclosure radical On: イ、 コク Variants: 囗 = (かまえ) enclose the kanji 禾 (いね) (5 strokes) grain radical, two-branch tree radical Kun: いね On: カ Variants: 禾 = (へん) left side of the kanji 广 (間/ま) (3 strokes) building / house on a cliff radical, slanting roof On: ゲン Variants: 广 = (たれ) Radicals which "hang down" 疒 (病/やまい) (5 strokes) sickness radical / trailing sickness radical Kun: や.む On: ダク、 ニャク、 ソウ、 ジョウ、 シツ Variants: 疒 = (たれ) Radicals which "hang down" 巾 (きん/はば) (3 strokes) cloth radical, towel, hanging scroll, width, Kun: おお.い、 ちきり、 きれ On: キン、 フク Variants: 巾 (へん) left side of the kanji 尸 (かたしろ, シ) (3 strokes) flag, corpse radical, remains Kun: かたしろ On: シ Variants: 尸 = (たれ) Radicals which "hang down" 寸 (すん) (3 strokes) inch (2.25 cm)/sundial, measurement, tenth of a shaku, a little, small degree radical On: スン Variants: 寸 (つくり) on the right side of the kanji |

## Table of kanji radicals
### Table key

Position category:
* へん (hen) - left ◧ - radical forms the left component of a kanji.
* つくり (tsukuri) - right ◨ - radical forms the right component of a kanji.
* かんむり (kanmuri) - top ⊤ - radical forms the top component of a kanji.
* あし (ashi) - bottom ⊥ - radical forms the bottom component of a kanji.
* かまえ (kamae) - wrap ⿴ - radical encloses the other kanji components.
* たれ (tare) - top-left ⿸ - radical forms the left and top components of a kanji.
* にょう (nyou) - bottom-left ⿺ - radical forms the left and bottom component of a kanji.
* Either left or right ◫ - radical can form either the left or right component of a kanji.