The Japanese Radical: 貝


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Meaning
money    貝

Explanation Shows a cowries-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八, which were used as money.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 3Joyo 1
shell
kai,
Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八 (Shells were used as substitute for money, therefore its further meaning as 'money' when used as a radical.)
A shell with feelers.  
JLPT 5Joyo 2
shopping, purchased goods
kau, BAI
Top: a variant of eye 罒 also often seen as a net, (here: net bag), bottom: shell/money 貝 (Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八)
With a net bag and money I go for shopping. (Or: I watch the money when shopping.)  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
member
IN
Top: mouth 口, below: shell/money 貝 (Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八)
(In a singing club) If you have a mouth and money you can become a member.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
lose, defeat, bear, negative
makeru, ou, FU
Top: A person bending down ⺈, below: money 貝 (Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八)
Bent by the money? He must have lost and now bears the burden of debt.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
freight, cargo, goods
KA
Top: change 化 (From a standing person 亻into a sitting person 匕 is a change.), bottom: money 貝 (Image of a shell 目 with two feelers 八)
(Ex-)change money for freight.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
reward, prize, praise
SHŌ
Top: furthermore, respect 尚 (A small 小 house 宀 with window 口 is furthermore also respected. HERE: 尚 image of the hand's palm with three fingers. cf. 掌), below: money 貝 Or: A member 員 with a crown
The crown is given to the member 員 as a reward. Or: In his hand's palm, he got the money as reward.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
pile, stack, product
tsumu, SEKI
Left: rice plant 禾, right: responsibility, liability 責 (... for growing plants and money 貝)
Rice plants and growing plants and money: These are things to pile.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
side, vicinity
kawa, gawa, soba, SOKU
Left: person 亻/人, right: rule 則 (Money 貝 [= the capital] and knifes刂 [= violence] determine the rules.)
The person with the rules (= the referee) is at the side. (of the play ground)  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
savings, store
takuwaeru, CHO
Left: money 貝 (Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八), right: roof 宀, city block 丁
The money for a roof (or a house?) in this city block has to be saved.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
defeat, lose, beaten, failure
yaburu, yabureru, HAI
Left: money 貝 (Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八), right: hit, strike 攵 (= a hand with a cane/stick ノ)
When the money/capital strikes, we are defeated.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
expense, spend, consume, cost
tsuiyasu, HI
Top: dollar 弗 (but here: flow heater with boiler coil 弓 and pipes || streaming through) (cf. to boil 沸), bottom: money 貝
A flow heater costs money and thus is: an expense.  
JLPT 1Joyo 5
congratulation, celebration
GA
Top: to add 加 (For getting power 力 your mouth 口 needs sth. to be 'added' [=to eat]), below: money 貝 (Image of a shell 目 with two feelers 八)
You should add money to congratulations.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
become used to, be accustomed
nareru, KAN
Left: feelings 忄, right: to pierce 貫 (Mother's 母 money 貝 is pierced.)
My feelings were pierced, but I get used to it.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
wealth, assets, property
ZAI, SAI
Left: shell/money 貝, right: talent 才 (If the big 大 man balances on one foot, he is talented.)
Money and talent create wealth.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
praise, assist, approve, support
SAN
Top: 2 x husband 夫 (= big 大 person with extra-caring arms 一), below: shell/money 貝
(i.e. in the flower shop) Two husbands with money: That is praiseworthy!  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
resources, assets, capital
SHI
Top: next 次 (ice 冫is lacking 欠, what comes next?), bottom: money 貝
The next money will be added to our resources.  
JLPT 4Joyo 5
quality, nature of something
SHITSU, SHICHI, CHI
Top: two axes 斤, bottom: shell/money 貝
Axes cost lots of money for quality.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
responsibility, liability, blame
semeru, SEKI
Top: growing plant , below: shell/money 貝
Growing plants and money mean responsibility ..and liability.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
to spin (a textile) achievement, technique
SEKI
Left: thread 糸, right: liability, responsibility 責 (... for growing plants and money 貝)
Threads have the "responsibility" to be used for spinning.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
rule, follow, model
nori, nottoru, SOKU
Left: money 貝 (cone-shell 目 with two feelers 八), right: knife刂
Money [= the capital] and knives [= violence] determine the rules to follow.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
measure, fathom
hakaru, SOKU
Left: water 氵, right: rule 則 (Money 貝 [= the capital] and knifes刂 [= violence] determine the rules.)
(fair share for irrigation) Water needs rules for measuring.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
be damaged, loss, spoil, miss
sokonau, SON
Left: hand 扌, right: member 員 (Who has a mouth 口 and money 貝 can become a member.)
The hand of that member has been damaged.  
JLPT 4Joyo 5
lend, loan, rent
kasu, TAI
Top: generation 代 (The person 亻/人 hands over the sabre 弋 at the generation's change), below: shell/money 貝
Since generations you have money, lend me some.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
poor, meager, needy
mazushii, HIN, BIN
Top: to divide, share, minute 分 (... with eight 八 swords 刀), bottom: money 貝
If you only have a part of the money, you are poor.  
貿
JLPT 2Joyo 5
trade, exchange

Top: bend , sword 刀, below: money 貝
Bent under the sword and the money is the trade.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
bequeath, leave behind, lose, vestiges
I, YUI
Left: movement 辶, right: valuable 貴 (In the middle 中 is one 一 with money 貝, who is valuable.)
In the movement, valuables were left behind.  
JLPT 1Joyo 6
precious, valuable, noble, esteem
tattoi/bu, tōtoi, KI
From top: middle 中, one 一, shell/money 貝
In the middle there is one with money, who is precious!  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
wages, fee, charge, fare
CHIN
Top: duty 任 (... is understood by the persons 人 as a burden 壬) [burden 壬 = spindle on which a thread is wound up], below: money 貝
(For companies:) Compulsory money is for: wages and fees.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rhyme, tone
IN
Left: sound 音 (Stand up 立 into the day 日 with music [of the clock radio?]), right: member 員 (Who has a mouth 口 and money 貝, can become a member.)
Sounds, that are (mutually) members are the rhymes.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
pierce, penetrate
tsuranuku, KAN
Top: mother 母 (= a breastfeeding woman 女 with swollen breasts :), below: shell/money 貝
Mother's money is pierced.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
wise, intelligent
kashikoi, KEN
Top: retainer 臣, hand 又, below: shell/money 貝
A retainer with a hand at the money is wise and intelligent.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
tribute, supply, finance
mitsugu, KŌ, KU
Top: craftsman 工, below: money 貝 (A cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八 as shell-money)
Either with work or money you have to pay your tribute.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
purchase, buy

Left: shell/money 貝 right: pile up/accumulate (two baskets on top of each other, the lower one 再 upside down)
Money is accumulated for purchases.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
chain, shut, link
kusari, SA
Left: metal, gold 金 (Covered in the ground 土 are 2 gold nuggets 丷), right: small 小 money 貝 (=small change)
(If you punch a hole into the coins:) The metal of small change can be used as a chain.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
debt, loan, credit
SAI
Left: person 人, right: liability, blame 責 (... for growing plants and money 貝)
A person bears the liability for his debt.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
present, bestow, to honor, blessing
tamawaru, SHI
Left: money 貝 (Image of a cone-shell 目 with two feelers/antennas 八 as shell-money), right: easy, simple 易 (Sun 日 shine 勿 makes it easy.)
(A personal gift is more difficult.) Money is simple/easy as a present.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
compensate, redeem
tsugunau, SHŌ
Left: person 人, right: prize/reward 賞 (The crown is given to the member 員 as reward.)
The person gets a reward as compensation.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
present, give
okuru, ZŌ, SŌ
Left: shell/money 貝, right: formerly, before 曽 (At rain 丷 on the field 田 and under the sun 日, that's how we worked formerly)
If I had money as formerly, I would give it as a present.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
burglar, thief, rebel, traitor, robber
ZOKU
From left: shell/money 貝, ten 十, halberd 戈
He got money and ten halberds. The burglar!  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
to pickle (food), soak
tsukaru/keru, SHI
Left: water 氵, right: liability/blame 責 (for growing plants and money 貝)
Water is necessary (= has a liability), when the pickles get soaked.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
chastity, virtue
TEI
Top: divine 卜, bottom: shell/money 貝. Here: 貞操帯 [ていそうたい] means chastity belt
With a key 卜 for the lock 目 above the legs 八 for: the chastity.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
spy, investigate, search
TEI
Left: person 人, right: virtue 貞 (cf. chastity belt 貞操帯 [ていそうたい] - With a key 卜 for the lock 目 above the legs 八 for: the chastity/virtue)
A person who appears such virtuous is probably a spy.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
compensation, indemnify, restitution
BAI
Left: shell/money 貝, right: to spit 咅 (To stand 立 with open mouth 口 and spit.)
Money is spit out: as a compensation.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
marketing, sell, trade
HAN
Left: shell/money 貝, right: against, opposition 反 (Climbing the cliff 厂 by hand 又? I am opposing)
Money (= the price) is an antagonist to marketing.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
VIP, privileged guest, visitor, guest of honor
HIN
From top: roof 宀, one 一, few/little 少, shell/money 貝
Under our roof, this (particular) one needs only little money: He is a VIP-guest.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
tribute, levy, endow, poem
FU
Left: money 貝, right: military 武 (Correct 正 sabres 弋 are used at the military.)
The money for the military are the: tributes.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
eruption, emit, spout, flush out
fuku, FUN
Left: mouth, opening 口, right: 卉 (ten 十, plant 艹), shell/money 貝
Out of the opening, ten plants and money were flushed out at the eruption.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
(burial-)mound, grave, tomb
FUN
Left: earth 土, right: 卉 (ten 十, plant 艹), shell/money 貝
Earth, ten plants and money are needed for: a burial mound.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rage, aroused, indignant, anger
ikidōru, FUN
Left: feeling 忄, right: 卉 (ten 十, plant 艹), shell/money 貝
He has feelings about the 10 plants costing that (much) money: He is in rage.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
bribe, pay, provide
makanau, WAI
Left: shell/money 貝, right: have/be 有 (I have a hand and a body 月: I'm existing!)
'Money' is what you have, thus you have to pay the bribe.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
song, Buddhistic ritual songs
uta,
Left: mouth 口, right: money, shell 貝
(A paid singer?) It comes out of his mouth for money: a song.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
devastation, break, crush, smash
tsubu-su, tsubu-reru, KAI
Left: water 氵, right: precious, valuable 貴 (In the middle 中 is one 一 with money 貝 who is valuable!)
By water, even precious things can be devasted.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
sticky, paste, adhere
haru, CHŪ
Left: shell/money 貝 (here: snail), right: fortune telling 占 (compare sticky 粘, where sticky mochi 餅 is made by pounding rice 米 with a pestle 卜 in a mortar 口/臼.
The trail of a snail and also the contents of the mortar are sticky.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
gamble, bet, risk
kakeru, TO
Left: shell/money 貝, right: variant of person 者 (old man 耂, white 白)
The money of the white person was risked in gambling.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
crave, covet, desire
musaboru, DON
Top: now 今, below: shell/money 貝
Now I need the money! I'm craving for it!  
JLPT -Joyo 7
a gift, bribe
RO
Left: money 貝, right: every 各 (With crossed legs 夂 on a cushion 口 sits everybody.)
Money is for everybody a (good) gift. (But: With money 貝, you also make it easy 易 for yourself when you give it as a present 賜.)  

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


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