๐ Meaning & Origin
The ็ฎ radical is a pictogram of an eye: originally a vertical oval with a pupil, rotated to its current horizontal form. It appears in kanji about seeing, looking, and visual perception.
๐ Kanji by JLPT Level
โ๏ธ Where it appears & how it changes shape
็ฎ stands alone and appears on the left in ็ and ็ผ. It also forms part of larger characters where it is less obvious: ่ฆ is ็ฎ over a pair of legs, and ็ธ, ็ and ็ด all contain it.
๐ Don't confuse it with
One fewer horizontal stroke inside, and wider. ๆฅ is the sun; ็ฎ is the eye.
็ฎ with a short stroke added on top. ่ช means self, as in ่ชๅ.
็ฎ with two small legs beneath. ่ฒ is a shell, and appears in money-related kanji such as ่ฒท and ่ฒท.
๐ Beyond N5 โ what comes next
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| ็ด | ใกใใ / ใชใใ | to fix, direct | N4 |
| ็ | ใใ / ใพ | true, real | N3 |
| ็ธ | ใใ / ใใ | mutual, aspect | N3 |
| ็ | ใฟใ / ใญใใ | to sleep | 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
Important for keigo: ็ฎไธใฎไบบ requires polite language.
๐ฏ How to use this radical in JLPT study
็ฎ tends to signal looking, attention or judgement rather than the eye as an organ. ่ฆ (see), ็ธ (regard one another), ็ (true, as in seeing clearly) all sit at that slightly abstract level. Expecting 'something perceived or examined' rather than 'eyeball' will serve you better at N3 and above.
โ ๏ธ The mistake I see most often
Counting ็ฎ as four strokes by analogy with ๆฅ. It is five, and the difference matters when looking kanji up by stroke count.
๐ก Teacher's Memory Tip
Think of an eye lying on its side, where the two horizontal strokes are the eyelids, the vertical strokes are the outer shape of the eye. ็ฎ = eye, seeing.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
The ็ฎ radical means 'eye.' It derives from a pictogram of an eye turned sideways. Kanji with ็ฎ often relate to vision, looking, or being observed.
N5 kanji with ็ฎ: ็ฎ (eye), ่ฆ (to see, an eye on legs, walking around to see things).
Tilt the rectangle sideways and add lines inside, and that's an eye. ็ฎ in a kanji means something about seeing or looking.
Other N5 Radicals
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