๐ Meaning & Origin
The ๅ radical represents earth, soil, and the ground. Originally a pictogram of a plant sprouting from the ground. It appears in kanji about land, places, and earthen things.
๐ Kanji by JLPT Level
โ๏ธ Where it appears & how it changes shape
ๅ appears on the left in ๅฐ, ๅ ด, ๅ and ๅ, and at the bottom in ๅ and ๅ. On the left it narrows slightly but keeps its three strokes.
๐ Don't confuse it with
The classic pair. In ๅ the lower horizontal is the longer one; in ๅฃซ the upper one is longer. ๅฃซ means samurai or professional, as in ๅผ่ญทๅฃซ.
Three horizontals instead of two. ็ is king.
๐ Beyond N5 โ what comes next
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| ๅ ด | ใใใ / ใฐ | place, venue | N4 |
| ๅ | ใฏใ / ใใ | slope, hill | N3 |
| ๅข | ใใ / ใตใใ | to increase | N3 |
JLPT does not publish official kanji lists by level. These levels follow the commonly used reference lists and are a guide, not a guarantee.
๐ฃ๏ธ Words you will actually meet
Irregular: the three kanji together are read ใฟใใ. A classic jukujikun.
๐ฏ How to use this radical in JLPT study
ๅ covers ground in both senses: literal soil (ๅฐ, ็) and places built on it (ๅ ด, ๅ, ๅ). Practise the stroke-length difference against ๅฃซ deliberately, once. Both appear in ordinary vocabulary, and writing them ambiguously by hand causes real confusion.
โ ๏ธ The mistake I see most often
Writing the two horizontals the same length, which makes ๅ and ๅฃซ indistinguishable. Make the bottom stroke clearly longer.
๐ก Teacher's Memory Tip
A cross (+) sitting on a flat base, like a sprout pushing up through the soil. ๅ = earth, ground, something rooted.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
The ๅ radical means 'earth' or 'soil.' It represents the ground we stand on, which is why it appears in ๅฐ (ground/place) and words about land.
N5 kanji with ๅ: ๅ (earth/soil), ๅฐ (ground/earth/place, earth + a snake-like stroke indicating location).
A cross (+) on a base line, or a plant sprouting from soil. ๅ = anything rooted in the ground.
Other N5 Radicals
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