The Japanese Radical: 艹


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Meaning
plant, grass    艹

Explanation Shows two plants growing through the ground, simple variation of 艸.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 5Joyo 1
flower
hana, KA
Top: plant, grass , bottom: to change (When a standing person is sitting down, this is a change.)
A plant that changes (when blooming) is: a flower.  
JLPT 3Joyo 1
grass
kusa,
Top: a plant , bottom: early/fast (When the [rising ] sun is at the marked spot at the horizon , it is still early.)
The plant, that grows fast, is grass.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
tea
CHA, SA
From top: plant , person and tree
The plant where a person picks sth. from a 'tree', is the: tea.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
morning
asa, CHŌ
Left: sunrise (The sun rises between plants ), right: moon
At sunrise, the moon is still there: It is morning.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
load, package, baggage, freight
ni, KA
Top: plant , bottom: "what?" (Two persons , carrying a load with that bar , but "What?")
The plants are carried by the two persons with a bar on the shoulders as a load .  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
bitter, pain, worries
nigai, kurushii, KU
Top: plant , bottom: old (image of a tomb stone)
Plants (or herbs) that are old, taste bitter.  
JLPT 2Joyo 3
nose, snout
hana, BI
From top: self (The emphasized eye as the "self"), rice field , plant
(Because of hay fever:) I myself in a field with plants and it itches at my nose.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
medicine, drug
kusuri, YAKU
Top: plant , below: pleasure, joyful (white splashes in a tree )
A plant we can enjoy is medicine.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
leaf
ha,
From top: plant , world and tree
The plant's world at a tree are: The leaves.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
fall, drop, fail, decline
ochiru, RAKU
Top: plant , bottom: water , and each, all (With crossed legs on a cushion sits everybody.)
Plants (their leaves) and water(drops) all fall down.  
JLPT 4Joyo 4
excellent, England, excel
EI
Top: plant , below: center (The yoke on the shoulders of the big man is centered.)
The plant in the center is excellent, as England.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
bud, seedling, sprout
me, GA
Top: plant , bottom: tusk (pictograph)
Plants and also tusks grow from a sprout.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
Han-China
KAN
Left: water , right: plant , mouth , husband/man (= big person with extra-caring arms )
Water and plants in the mouth of the husband from China.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
together, with
tomo, KYŌ
Top: plant , below: table
Put the plants on the table together.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
art, performance, skill
GEI
Top: plant , bottom: fog (cf. cloud )
A plant in the fog? That is art!  
JLPT 4Joyo 4
vegetable, greens
na, SAI
Top: plant , below: to pluck/harvest (A hand reaches down into a tree )
Plants that are plucked are vegetables.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
fill, full
michiru, mitasu, MAN
Left: water , top: plant , below: both (image of a balance)
Water and plants: both make you (feel) filled.  
JLPT 1Joyo 5
saveguard, defense, protect, defend, guard
GO
Left: word , right: (only as a radical) seize, snare (a plant weave to lure a bird underneath and grab it by hand )
(A convincing argument:) Words that seize/capture can protect you.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
equipment, prepare, possess
sonaeru/waru, BI
Left: person /, right: plant , cliff 广, use
The person picks up plants from the cliff for use as equipment.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
work, duty, serve
tsutomeru, KIN
Left: blooming plant (plant with 2 blossoms ロロ at growing plant ), right: strength/force
Blooming plants give me strength for my work.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
respect, honor, esteem
uyamau, KEI
Left: any, at all 苟 (plant , sentence, phrase [= sth. wrapped out the mouth ]), right: strike/hit (hand with stick )
A plant speaking a sentence can strike with respect.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
young, inexperienced, if
wakai, moshi, JAKU
Top: plant , bottom: right (This hand ナ/ feeds the mouth .) For the mnemonic think to the character "hard ": Things (like: herbs, vegetables, meat) with age get hard - Here however we have the opposite:
The plant that is put by hand ナ into the mouth is: young.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
steam, vapor, sultry
musu/reru,
From top: plant , child and water , fire
Like winding plants or splashing children, the water bubbles on the fire and it gets sultry from the steam.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
warehouse, storehouse
kura,
From top: plant , var. of halberd , retainer
At the plants a retainer with a halberd is at the warehouse.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
inner organs, entrails, viscera
harawata,
Left: body part /, right: warehouse (At the plants a retainer with a halberd guards the warehouse)
The body is the "warehouse" for the inner organs.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
remarkable, author, renowned
ichijirushii, arawasu, CHO
Top: plant , below: person (The old man shows in the sun his whole person)
Under the plant, is a person who is a remarkable author.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
difficult, troublesome
muzukashii, katai, NAN
Left: var. of Han China (Water and plants in the mouth of the husband from China) [But here missing: water ], right: bird
Han-China without water is for birds really: difficult!  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
curtain, act
MAKU, BAKU
Top: sinking/going down (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.), below: cloth [Watch out: Sunrise is: or ]
It is "sinking" (= hanging down): This cloth is a curtain.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
potato
imo,
Top: plant , bottom: dry (image of a drying rack)
A plant that grows (in contrast to rice) on the dry is the potato.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
splendor, flower, showy, China
hana, KA, GE
Top: growing plant, grass , below: plant with buds at the stem
The plant with many buds is a splendid flower from China.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
sweets, confectionary, fruit
KA
Top: plant , below: fruit/result (The 'fields' of the trees are their fruits.)
Vegetable (=vegetarian) fruits are used for sweets.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
harvest, crop
KAKU
Left: rice plant , right: (as a radical only) seize/lure into a trap (a plait/bind from plants to attract/lure a bird below for catching by hand )
Rice is seized (captured) during harvest.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
dry, to dry
kawaku, KAN
Left: sunrise (sun rises between plants ), right: horizontal person , odd/2nd: (two , written quickly, without pen's lifting)
By the sunrise the two odd persons get dry.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
tolerant, generous, magnanimous, relax
kutsurogu, KAN
From top: house , plant , see/look (= The eye is on legs when looking around.)
(A green roof where insects and perhaps bees may settle?) A roof made of plants is seen as: tolerant and generous.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
chrysanthemum
KIKU
From top: plant , wrap , rice
The plant that is first wrapped and then blossoms like the kanji for rice is: the chrysanthemum.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bacteria, fungus, germ
KIN
Top: plant , bottom: 囷 (enclosure , rice plant )
A plant that is enclosed in a container like this rice plant, will be affected by bacteria.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
respectful, humble, reverently, circumspect, discreet
tsutsushimu, KIN
Left: word , right: blooming flower (plant with 2 blossoms ロロ at growing plant )
Words should be like blooming plants: respectful!  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
fragrance, aroma, odour
kaori, KUN
From top: plant , heavy , fire Or: A heavy pot over the fire has its bottom black
When the plants in the heavy pot on the fire dye black, they spread a fragnance.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
stalk, stem
kuki, KEI
Top: plant , below: vertical (A hand is vertically above the ground )
The plant's vertical part is the stem.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
cocoon (of the silkworm)
mayu, KEN
Top: plant , below: cocoon with two chambers, inside: thread and insect
Under a plant, the thread of an insect forms: A cocoon.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
violent, wild, lay waste, rough
arai, areru/rasu,
From top: plant , dead (coffin in cross section), river
Plants are dying because the river is so violent.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
be confused, be flustered
awateru/tadashii,
Left: feeling , right: wild/rough/violent (Plants are dying when the river is so violent.)
My feeling when the plants are floating dead in the river is confusion. (Or: My feelings are that wild, that I am confused.)  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
turf, grass, lawn
shiba,
Top: plant , below: a zigzag path
Plants grow aside of a path in the lawn.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
firewood, fagot
takigi, maki, SHIN
Top: plant , below: new (Out of a standing tree , the axe makes something new.)
Plants and standing trees are made by the axe into: firewood.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
recommend, advise, encourage
susumeru, komo, SEN
鹿
From top: plant , var. of deer 鹿 (originally a pictograph, but not discernible), variation of bird
(These animals are clever and do not eat anything poisonous:) Plants eaten by deer and birds can be recommended.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
villa, majestic, solemn
SŌ, SHŌ
Top: plant , bottom: robust (The bed of the samurai is robust.)
The plants look very robust in that villa.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
official, government service, companion, fellow
SŌ, ZŌ
From top: one (here: ground), bend (here: two sprouting plants || in a field ), sun
Such that the ground is broken up by 2 sprouts, the sun is needed: and a caring companion who serves like the 'government'.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bury, funeral, interment
hōmuru,
Top & bottom: plant , middle: death (Below the earth are the bare bones of a sitting person )
Between the plants the dead are buried. (Or: Like a sunset of the dead is the: funeral.)  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
encounter, meet, associate, join
au,
Left: movement , right: companion (Such that ground is broken up by 2 sprouts in the field , the sun is needed: and a caring companion.)
Companions need to move, if they want to encounter.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
tub, vat, container, tank

Left: tree , right: companion (Such that the ground is broken up by 2 sprouts in the field , the sun is needed: and a caring companion.)
It is wooden and for your companion: It's a tub or vat.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
waterweed, seaweed
mo,
Top: plant , below: to wash 澡 (water and bird's chirping [also: to gather] assemble (3 beaks of birds in a tree )
A plant in the water that is accumulating is: the seaweed.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
consent, agree, assent
DAKU
Left: word , right: young (The plant that is taken by hand into the mouth is young) [.. because old things are too hard for me]
(The youth is our future:) To the words of the youth can be agreed.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
lament, sigh, grieve, admire
nageku/kawashii, TAN
Left: mouth , right: var. of China (Water and plants in the mouth of the husband from China) [But water is missing]
Mouths in a waterless China are lamenting.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
accumulate, store, save, keep
takuwaeru, CHIKU
Top: plant , below: livestock (Use a mysterious [= barren] field for breeding livestock) [cf. magnet ]
Plants for raising livestock should be accumulated as a store.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
tower, monument, pagoda

Left: earth , right: plant and: to fit (lid fits on pot )
(fiber-reinforced composite FRC) Earth must be reinforced with plant fiber in a fitting way, when you build a pagoda.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bording (air passenger), to load, get into

Left hand , right: 荅 (plant [here: handrail], fit (Here: as the image of an airplane with cockpit and corpus )
The hand at a handrail of the airplane when bording.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
conceal, hide, shelter
TOKU
Outside: box , inside: young (The plant that is taken by hand into the mouth is young) [.. because old things are too hard for me]
In the box a 'young' is concealing.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
diluted, thin/weak (taste), shallow, light, faint
usui/maru/meru, HAKU
Top: plant , below: water and: var. of wholly/exclusive (The soil is penetrated by a (sole) sprout in the rice field , cared for by a skillful hand , which is exclusive.)
(i.e. tomatoes taste often watery) Plants with water can be wholly diluted, or weak in taste.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
desert, vague, vast, wide
BAKU
Left: water , right: sink, go down (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.) [Watch-out: sunrise is: or ]
Where the water has 'sunk', it is now a desert.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
feudal domain, fief, clan
HAN
Top: plant , bottom: water , number, watch, guard (The ripe rice plants (= rice plant + rice grain ) on the field is numbered and needs to be guarded.)
Plants are watered and guarded in the fief (= domain of the clan).  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
seedling, young plant, sapling
nae, nawa, BYŌ, MYŌ
Top: plant, grass , below: field
The plants (still as small as grass) on the field are seedlings.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
depict, draw, sketch
egaku, BYŌ
Left: hand , right: seedling (= This plant [still as small] as grass on the field )
(A field with seedlings planted neatly in rows looks beautiful:) If the hand arranges the plants/seedling in the field (in such rows), it looks like being depicted.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
cat
neko, BYŌ, MYŌ
Left: wild animal (dog on hind legs), right: seedling (= The plant [that is still as small] as grass on the field )
The animal in the seedlings is a cat.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
eruption, emit, spout, flush out
fuku, FUN
Left: mouth, opening , right: (ten , plant ), shell/money
Out of the opening, ten plants and money were flushed out at the eruption.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
(burial-)mound, grave, tomb
FUN
Left: earth , right: (ten , plant ), shell/money
Earth, ten plants and money are needed for: a burial mound.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rage, aroused, indignant, anger
ikidōru, FUN
Left: feeling , right: (ten , plant ), shell/money
He has feelings about the 10 plants costing that (much) money: He is in rage.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
recruit (employees), enlisting, raise (funds)
tsunoru, BO
Top: sinking, going down (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.), below: strength/effort [Watch out: Sunrise is: or ]
With sinking strength we need (more) recruiting.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
yearn for, adore, pine, love dearly
shitau, BO
Top: sinking/going down (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.), below: heart [Watch out: Sunrise is: or ]
Like a sinking heart: That's yearning.  
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
fragrance, pleasant-smell, perfume
kanbashii,
Top: plant, grass , below: side
Plants (spread it) to the sides: Fragrance.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rush, run quickly, bustle, gush
HON
Top: big , below (ten , plant )
The big person is thirty-fold quick when: rushing away.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
membrane
MAKU
Left: part of body /, right: sink, go down (Here: =2x10, = image of a membrane and = big part)
The body's part, that separates 20 parts by a membrane from the big part is a: membrane.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
dream, vision
yume, MU
From top: plant , eye , cover , evening
With plants the eyes are covered in the evening: then come the dreams.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
grow thickly, thicket, overgrown
shigeru, MO
Top: plant , below: halberd with additions
Plants need to be cut with halberds, if they grew too thickly.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
wither, weaken, wilt, droop
naeru, I
Top: plant , bottom: to entrust (Rice plant can women be entrusted.)
The plants I entrusted you, are all withered.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
thorn, spine
ibara,
Top: plant , below: next (ice is lacking , what comes next?)
If a plant has those, I (or better the goats) go to the next: Those are the thorns.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
torment, severe, brutal, to bully, to tease, cruel
KA
Top: grass/plant , bottom: possibility (The nail into this opening should be possible.)
(Is this related to weed or cannabis) "Grass" can be brutal.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
cover, lid, cap
futa, GAI
From top: grass/plant , leave (Below the earth is the nose , that left), plate
The grass must leave the plate and then cover it with a lid/cap.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
kudzu (Pueraria montana), arrowroot
kuzu, katsu
Top: plant , below: Variant of 'good' (sun with rays , with: person , angle ∟
The plant which the person planted in a sunny corner is this climbing vines: kudzu.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
only, just, merely, a few, a tiny bit
wazuka, KIN
Left: person , right: blooming flower (plant with 2 blossoms ロロ at growing plant )
A person (watches) a blowing flower: How can this be only a tiny bit?  
JLPT -Joyo 7
wick (of a candle), core, center
SHIN
Top: plant , bottom: heart
Plants have a "heart" (=inner fibers), that is used as a wick.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
wisteria (bot.)
fuji,
From top: plant , imperial WE (A body / out of the heaven : that is Us), water
The plant that is imperial and appears like flowing water: the wisteria.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
cover, overlay
HEI
Top: grass/plant , bottom: shabby (.. when the cloth broke into four small pieces due to strikes ) [ = hand with stick ]
On the lawn, four bits of cloth are (spread) with the stick in the hand: As a cover.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
neglect, ignore, disprize, disesteem
sagesumu, BETSU
From top: grass/plant , eye (With the pupil ロ in the center), garrison 戍 (= The persons (= & ) at the halberds )
(When crossing the border illegally, you need to crawl lying flat.) If your eyes are below the grass, the garrison will neglect you, but also might despise you.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
indigo
RAN, ai
Top: plant , bottom: to watch, supervise (The retainer and a lying person are mirrored in the plate they supervise / observe.)
(It's used for dyeing:) The plant that "supervises" is the: indigo blue.  

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

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