The Japanese Radical: 日


Kanji-Trainer
Search:
 
Meaning
day, sun    日

Explanation The radical nichi stands for sun and was originally a circle with an middle point.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 4Joyo 1
music, sound, noise
oto, ne, ON, IN
Top: stand, get up , bottom: sun/day
(My alarm clock makes music:) Get up into the day with music & sounds.  
JLPT 4Joyo 1
early, fast
hayai,
Sunrise (= The sun above the horizon ) with a marking
When the (rising) sun is at the marked spot at the horizon, it is still early.  
JLPT 5Joyo 1
sun, day
hi, -ka, NICHI, JITSU

Originally the image of the sun with an outer circle and an inner dot, which evolved into:  
JLPT 5Joyo 2
space, gap
aida, ma, KAN, KEN
Combines gate and sun
At the gate, the sun shines through: the gap.  
JLPT 5Joyo 2
time, hour
toki, JI
Left: day , right: temple (... made from earth and built with skillful hands )
A day in the temple passes like just one hour.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
spring
haru, SHUN
From top: three , person , sun
Three persons sit in the sun. It is spring!  
JLPT 5Joyo 2
write
kaku, SHO
A hand ナ/ヨ with a painting brush (cf. ) writes two lines = on a paper
With a brush in my hand on the paper: That's how I write.  
JLPT 3Joyo 2
star
hoshi, SEI, SHŌ
Top: sun , below: live (The twig at the growing plant stands for life)
(Because they move in the night's sky:) Suns that are 'alive' are the stars.  
JLPT 3Joyo 2
sunny, bright, clear up
hareru, SEI
Left: day/sun , right: young, blue (Growing plants appear in the moonshine as blue and young.)
Sunny and blue (sky) - It's sunny and the weather's cleared up.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
noon, daytime
hiru, CHŪ
Top: measure of length (from the body one foot forward = 1 Shaku = 30.3 cm), below: sunrise (sun over the horizon )
It is measured in Shaku when the sun is vertically above the horizon: Then it is noon.  
JLPT 5Joyo 2
east
higashi,

The sun rises behind a tree in the east.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
bright, lightful, clear
akarui, akeru, MEI, MYŌ

Sun and moon : Both shine bright and clear.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
day of the week

Left: sun , right: (two wings , bird )
The sun on the wings of a bird: This happens every: day of the week.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
dark, shady, gloomy, unclear
kurai, AN
Left: sun/day , right: sound, music (Stand up into the day with music [of the clock radio?])
When the sun stands between two days , it is: dark.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
intention, mind, thought
I
Top: sound, noise (Stand up into the day with sound/music [of the clock radio?]), bottom: heart
Like sounds of my heart: My intentions!  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
warm
atatakai, ON
Left: water , right: sun and a bowl/dish
The water on a sunny plate gets warm.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
melody, bend, turn
magaru, KYOKU
A field with two growing plants II
(In the wind) The plants in the field are bending. (Or: Two flutes play a melody.)  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
hot weather
atsui, SHO
Top: sun , bottom: person (The old man shows in the sun his whole person.)
The sun is directly above the person - that's hot weather!  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
glorious, clear, bright
SHŌ
Left: sun , right: summon/call s.o. (with sword and mouth to call sb.)
The sun is calling: It is getting: glorious and bright!  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
hundred million
OKU
Left: person /, right: thought (= the sounds of my heart )
A (normal) person can only think about having 100 million dollar.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
scenery, view, panorama
KEI, KE
Top: sun , below: capital (image of a stone lantern)
The sun above the capital is a nice scenery.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
most, extremely, highest
mottomo, SAI
Top: sun , bottom: to take, hold (.. at the ear with the hand )
(It illuminates everything even into the most remote corners:) The sun takes [with its shine] the extremely.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
sing, recite, intone, preach
tonaeru, SHŌ
Left: mouth , right: two suns
Open the mouth widely as big as two suns, when: singing.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
easy, simple, divination, fortune telling
yasui, yasashii, EKI, I
Top: sun , below: rays
Sunrays make it easy.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
past, old times, former old ...
KYŪ
Left: var. of one , right: day
One day has passed, which means 'old times'.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
expose, violence, outburst, rage
abareru/ku, BŌ, BAKU
From top: Sun , together with (Put the plants on the table together-) and water
The sun together with the water exposes the violence.  
JLPT 4Joyo 6
reflect, shine, project(cinema)
utsuru/su, haeru, EI
Left: sun , right: center (The yoke on the shoulders of the big man is centered.)
When the sun reaches the center (= zenith) everything is reflecting.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
right, just so, proper, this
kore, ZE
Top: sun , below: correct (at the line to stop is correct)
The sun looks correctly: That is right.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
warm
atatakai/maru/meru, DAN
Left: sun , right: (Chinese only) to help (a hand reaches down to give a rope [with two knots] and another hand takes this help.)
The sun helps to warm up.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
nightfall, evening, late
BAN
Left: sun , right: escape, permit (an escaping rabbit 兔=兎=[うさぎ] - long ear , big eyes , legs )
The sun escapes during nightfall.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rhyme, tone
IN
Left: sound (Stand up into the day with music [of the clock radio?]), right: member (Who has a mouth and money , can become a member.)
Sounds, that are (mutually) members are the rhymes.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
remember, recollection, reminiscence, think
OKU
Left: feeling , right: thought/mind (= the sounds of my heart )
Feelings and thoughts will be remembered (= reminiscences).  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
leisure, spare time
hima, KA
Left: day , center: var. of door (with stairs ), right: tool コ, hand
(DIY = Home improvement as a hobby:) The day when I repair the door and the stairs with a tool in my hand is my leisure.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
resound, echo, get known
hibiku, KYŌ
Top: home town (The thread of the 'husband' connects to the hometown.) [husband = the 'good' from the village], bottom: sound (Stand up into the day with music [of the clock radio?])
(There always remains a reference to the home.) From the home town is sounding an echo.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
dawn, daybreak
akatsuki, GYŌ
Left: sun , right: simplified forest , one (= horizon) and legs (cf. )
If the sun comes through the forest (above the horizon) it is walking towards dawn. (before sun rise )  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
renew, anew, change, fresh, again
sara, fukeru/kasu,
Center: sun , rest: measure of length (big person measures with long step distance of 3m)
The sun shows it size renewedly again.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
fragrance, smell, aroma, scent
ka, kaoru/ri,
Top: rice plant , below: sun
Rice plants in the sun have a fragrance.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
descendants, insect, multitude
KON
Actually the pictograph of an insect (top: carapace , below: legs [=comparison of two sitting persons])
The sun over the two sitting persons , the: descendants.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
marriage
KON
Left: woman , right: family/clan , sun
The woman comes into the family at the day of the marriage.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
a short while, temporarily, briefly, a while
shibaraku, ZAN
Top: kill by slicing ([An accident] with a car or an axe can kill by slicing), below: sun/day
If you wanted to make a vehicle with an axe in only one day, this would be a short duration.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
delicious, tasty, relish, purpose, skillful, expert
mune, umai, SHI
Top: typically this radical is understood as a sitting person, even though this kanji [さじ] means "spoon", bottom: sun
On the spoon in the sun and is sth. delicious. How skillful!  
湿
JLPT 2Joyo 7
damp, moist, humid, wet
shimeru/su, SHITSU
Left: water , right: sun , hollow (= extinct volcanic vent)
The water makes the sunny hole damp and humid.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
a 10 day period, decade
JUN
Wrap sth. , sun
When the sun is wrapped (by clouds), then often for the duration of 10 days.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
rise up, raising, ascent, promote
noboru, SHŌ
Top: sunrise (sun above horizon ), bottom: measure of volume (three upward directed strokes
Like a sunrise is this slope directing upwards: An ascent.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
crystal, clear, sparkle
SHŌ
3 x sun
Three suns as clear as a crystal.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
old days, long ago, past, antiquity
mukashi, SEKI, SHAKU
Top: variation of together (Put the plants on the table together), bottom: sun
Together in the sun we think of the old days.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
exchange, substitute
kaeru/waru, TAI
Top: 2 x husband (= big person with extra-caring arms ), below: sun
Two husbands are during sunshine (= during good times) exchangeable.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
to cloud, dim, mar, fog
kumoru, DON
Top: sun , below: cloud (=rain & fog )
If the sun is above the clouds, it is cloudy.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
widely, universally, generally
amaneku, FU
Top: row, line, common (originally 2 x stand [for row], now merged to ), below: sun
Lining up in the sun is done generally.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
live, sunset, end, life circumstances
kureru/rasu, BO
Top: sinking/going down (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.), bottom: sun [Notice: means sunrise such as in 'morning ']
The sinking sun means sunset. [OR: The plants needed from one sun to the next big sun are the life circumstances.]  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
calendar, almanac
koyomi, REKI
Outside: cliff , below: forest , sun [cf. hemp ]
A cliff with a forest in the sun: a picture for a calendar.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
not clear, vague, obscure
AI
Left: day/sun , right: love (A hand reaching down to cover the heart and an upturned foot : That is love) [ = A hand reaching down to cover the heart of the person sitting cross-legged : That is love.]
In daylight love becomes unclear.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
beautiful, flourishing, vigorous
Ō
Left: sun/day , right: king
A day like a king: beautiful and flourishing.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
formerly, before
SŌ, ZO
From top: out of (here: rain), field , sun
At rain on the field and under the sun, that's how we worked formerly.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
daybreak, dawn, morning
TAN, DAN
Top: sun , bottom: a horizontal line as the horizon
When the sun appears above the horizon it is: daybreak.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
dark, ambiguous, unclear, doubious
MAI
Left: sun/day , right: not yet/ immature (The upper branch of the tree is still shorter =immature.)
The day is still immature: It is dark and ambiguous.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
dark, deep, unfathomable, divine
MEI, MYŌ
From top: cover , sun/day , six
A cover makes the sun-light sixfold darker and unfathomable.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
dark, darkness
yami,
Outside: gate , inside: sound (Stand up into the day with music [of the clock radio?]), (cf. )
The gate stands in the sun and causes (behind it) darkness.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

At this page you get the memory phrases for learning the Japanese Kanji. If you are learning the Chinese Hanzi, please follow this link.




List of the characters | List of the radicals
Get the app of the Kanji-Trainer!

The app has many other functions, such as character selection according to difficulty, practice programs, handwriting recognition and success statistics!

To the Trainer