The Japanese Radical: 金


Kanji-Trainer
Search:
 
Meaning
gold, metal    金

Explanation This radical is always on the left side of a character.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 5Joyo 1
gold, metal, money
kane, kana, KIN, KON
From top: cover, lid , earth/soil , two gold nuggets
Covered in the ground is the gold.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
silver
shirogane, GIN
Left: metal/gold (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: "not good" ('good' would be , but the accent is missing, thus 'not good')
(Gold would be better!) This metal is 'not good', it is only silver.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
iron, steel
kurogane, TETSU
Left: metal (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: to lose (I emphasize (=accent ) it is the husband who loses) [husband = big person with extra-caring arms ]
The metal, you can safely lose (due to its little value) is iron.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
mirror
kagami, KYŌ
Left: metal (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: to stand , below a variation of seeing: (One line is missing: therefore only "practically" seeing)
The metal in front of which you stand and practically see yourself, is a mirror.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
record, transcript
ROKU
Left: metal , right: exude/squeeze (pressing hand ヨ makes liquid drop out, but here: embossing)
Metal can be pressed (or embossed), and thus is used for recordings.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
ore, mineral

广
Left: metal (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: wide ([As a real estate agent] I find a building 广 with my (good) nose , that is wide and spacious)
Metal is common (= widely spread) in form of ore.  
JLPT 1Joyo 5
coin, Sen (=1/100 yen), money
zeni, SEN
Left: metal (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: two & halberd
The metal for two halberds is enough for one Sen coin.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
copper
akagane,
Left: metal , right: same [All containers have only one opening and that is the same.]. ("akagane" means: red metal)
(Metals differ, but no other is red.) The [red] metal that is always the same is: copper.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
steel
hagane,
Left: metal , right: hill (Here as a bloomery hearth for steel smelting, in which iron ore and charcoal were stacked alternately as a hill.) Or: Steel is [compared to cast iron] elastic like a rope:
Metal from this hill (=oven) is steel.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
needle, pin, pointer
hari, SHIN
Left: metal, gold (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: ten
It is made of metal and pointed like the number ten (= ): A needle!  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
sharp, acute, keen
surudoi, EI
Left: metal , right: coming out (here: piercings), elder brother (= A big mouth on legs )
The metal piercings in the 'big mouth' of my elder brother are sharp and acute.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
lead (the metal)
namari, EN
Left: metal , right: variation of valley (Shows a valley that opens into a plain .)
(Because of the weight it is found in deeper places:) The metal in the valley is lead.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
example, model, specimen
kangamiru, KAN
Left: metal/gold , right: watch, supervise (The retainer and a lying person are mirrored in the plate they supervise / observe.)
Due to its value its inventory is constantly monitored:) The way the gold is supervised is exemplary.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
chain, shut, link
kusari, SA
Left: metal, gold (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: small money (=small change)
(If you punch a hole into the coins:) The metal of small change can be used as a chain.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
mix, intermingle, confused, distraction
SAKU
Left: metal , right: old days, past (together in the sun thinking of old days.)
(Metals in nature are alloys that could not be metallurgically processed in the past.) The metals in earlier times were mixed.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
gun, rifle, arms

Left: metal , right: fill, charge (The new born baby [child turned upside down, because at birth with head first] flounders with its legs to be 'filled' [= fed])
Metal fills/charges the gun.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bell
kane, SHŌ
Left: metal (Covered in the ground are 2 gold nuggets ), right: child (It stands in the village )
A metal for children is a bell.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
lock, padlock, tablet/pill

Left: metal , right: decide, rule, fix (Under this roof it is decided according to correct rules.)
(If you can enter or not:) The metal that decides is the lock.  
JLPT 1Joyo 8
plummet, weight in fishing net, spindle
tsumu, omori, SUI
Left: metal , right: to hang down, drop (A vehicle with a loose wheel almost dropping off)
Metal that is hanging down is a plummet.  
JLPT 1Joyo 8
raw iron, pig iron
zuku, SEN
Left: metal , right: precede/previous (A cow with two legs precedes)
This metal was previously pig iron.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
forge
kitaeru, TAN
Left: metal , right: steps (In the cliff a weapon 几 in a hand made stairs )
The metal for the stairs was forged.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
cast (i.e. in metal), mint
iru, CHŪ
Left: metal , right: long life 寿 (With both hands & to congratulate and wish: a long life) [..or: to roll sushi 寿]
Metal has a long life-cycle, and thus is used for casting.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
fishing, angling, lure
tsuru/ri, CHŌ
Left: metal , right: ladle (image of a ladle with sth. in it; old measure of capacity: SHAKU; ca. 18 ml)
A metal hook (with a bait ) is for fishing.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
tranquilize, calm, suppress
shizumaru/meru, CHIN
Left: gold/metal , right: truth (The ten tools are really true.) [Tool = eye , table ]
Gold is truly tranquilizing.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
stupid, dull, foolish, slow, blunt
nibui/ru, DON
Left: gold/metal , right: barracks/camp (On fertile soil, where growing shoots 屮 pierced the ground they built a barracks.)
If you take gold into the barracks, you are stupid and dull.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bowl, pot
HACHI, HATSU
Left: metal , right: root, origin, book
Metal is the origin for bowls and pots.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
inscribe, sign, motto
MEI
Left: gold/metal , right: name (In the evening you talk about people with name and fame)
Into the metal the name is engraved as: an inscription!  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
small bell, chime
suzu, REI, RIN
Left: metal , right: order/command (here: body of the bell with the bell's bolt )
Metal that is chiming "on command" is a bell.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
refine, knead, train, drill
neru, REN
Left: metal , right: east
Metal is trained (= ) in the east when refined or kneading (i.e. forging.)  
JLPT -Joyo 7
kettle, pot
kama,
Top: father (With a stick in the hand [for punishing]: The father!), bottom: gold/metal
Daddy uses metal to make a kettle.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
sickle, reaping hook
kama,
Left: metal/gold , right: combine, concurrently (A hand ナ/ヨ holds two rice plants concurrently.)
(For havesting) You need this metal when grasping two rice plants in your hand: A sickle.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
brocade
nishiki, KIN
Left: gold/metal , right: 帛 (= white cloth )
A gold embroidered white cloth is brocade.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
key (to a lock or a problem), clue
kagi, KEN
Left: gold, metal , right: build, construct (The brush needs to move at the construction) [The brush is a part of: 'to write' ]
Use metal for your building: That's the key to the problem.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
to imprison so., tie up, to bond sb.
KO
Left: gold/metal , right: hard/firm/strong (Some things [= meat, some vegetable] with age [= tomb stone] become hard )
Metal is hard/strong and thus used for a prison.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
pot, pan
nabe,
Left: gold/metal , right: backbone, vertebrae (cf =bone, skeleton)
Metal is the backbone of: pots and pans.  

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