Unlike many people, I actually don’t mind Wanikani’s radical names. I find them clever when used in WK’s mnemonics, and anything that helps the Kanji meaning and sound stick in my brain is okay with me.
My problem is when I am studying Kanji with other people’s mnemonics, which is what happens when you use other people’s decks a lot. They make their mnemonics off of the more traditional names for the radicals and components. So I think it would be helpful to know both names for the radicals, the WK names and the traditional names.
Has anyone out there published a side by side comparison list of both?
24 Likes
Dunno if there’s a list already, but I’ve made an (amateurish) start at a new one. Unfortunately, it’s 1am right now, so I’m gonna have to put a pause on this and come back later. I’ll make this post a wiki, so others can edit if they feel like it. It’s a little bit difficult to get an “official” name for several of them - they have some names listed, but they can also be identical to kanji which have different names. (Radicals which aren’t displaying are ones that WaniKani uses images for rather than text. I’ll have to determine whether they even exist as Unicode characters at all…)
All finished. I’m reasonably sure this is accurate. It’s still a wiki, if people want to make changes.
Most of WaniKani’s radicals are kanji in their own right, and aren’t included in the 214 traditional radicals, though not all of them have the same meaning as the name they have in WaniKani. In same cases, several similar looking radicals are merged together - Standard should be separated by /. Curiously, not all of the 214 traditional radicals exist in WaniKani. If they’re kanji or katakana, I’ve marked them as such. Ones that don’t exist in Unicode at all should try to put in image in the character column, and are marked “not a radical” - most of them are combinations of two or more official radicals, but one or two of them are actually half of an official radical.
Radicals that are radical with uncanonical name
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
ハ
Fins
Eight
一
Ground
One
勹
Prison
Wrap
丿
Slide
Slash, katakana no radical
ト
Toe
Oracle
尸
Flag
Corpse
冂
Head
Enclosure, upside-down box
又
Stool
Again
广
Canopy
Sloping roof
𠆢
Hat
Person (variant)
幺
Poop
Short thread
⺌
Triceratops
Small (variant)
夂
Winter
Follow (夂) / Strike (攵)
丷
Horns
Eight (variant)
乚
Umbrella
Second, fishhook (variant)
毋
Window
Mother (simplified 母)
ヨ
Wolverine
Pig’s head, katakana yo
⺤
Cleat
Claw (variant)
覀
Helicopter
West (variant)
癶
Tent
Outspread legs, departure
頁
Geoduck
Head
辰
Landslide
Morning
戈
Drunkard
Spear
艮
Root
Boundary
示
Jackhammer
Altar
尺
Shrimp
しゃく (Japanese foot of length)
非
Criminal
Non-
至
Mole
Arrive
斉
Simultaneous
Alike
丬
Icicle
Split wood (variant)
韋
Korea
Leather (variant)
而
Rake
Also
乙
Nose
Second, fishhook
冘
Pirate
Lame leg
鬲
Bully
Tripod
彑
Shuriken
Pig’s head (variant)
Canonical in some senses:
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
ネ
Spirit
Show, Altar, Katakana ne (礻) / Clothes (衤)
罒
Net
Eye (variant) / net (variant of a different radical)
阝
Building
Hill (when on left) / village (when on right)
月
Moon
Moon, month / meat (variant)
疋
Coat Rack
foot (as radical) / roll of cloth, counter for small animal (as Kanji)
Tangentially canonical:
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
亅
Barb
Hook
工
Construction
Work, carpenter
十
Cross
Ten (十字)
丶
Drop
Dot
丨
Stick
Line, rod
土
Dirt
Earth
王
King
Jewelry (variant)
扌
Fingers
Hand (variant)
毛
Fur
Hair
用
Task
Use
巾
Towel
Cloth
气
Energy
Air, steam
艹
Flowers
Grass
冖
Forehead
Cover, crown
ｲ
Leader
Standing man, person (variant)
彳
Loiter
Going man
寸
Measurement
すん (i.e. the Japanese inch)
⻌
Scooter
Road
氵
Tsunami
Water (variant)
廾
Twenty
Twenty legs, folded hands
犭
Animal
Beast, dog (variant)
灬
Boil
Fire (variant)
凵
Box
Container, open box
刂
Knife
Sword (variant)
歹
Yakuza
Death
矛
Spear
Halberd
匚
Cage
Box
釆
Sickle
Topped rice
酉
Alcohol
Sake jar
隹
Turkey
Old bird
廴
Yoga
Move, stretch
忄
Soul
Heart (variant)
巛
Flood
Winding river
角
Angle
Horn, corner
殳
Weapon
Weapon, lance
片
One Sided
Split wood
舛
Dance
Dancing legs
龍
Imperial
Dragon
缶
Can
Earthen jar
Radicals that are Kanji but different meaning
From WaniKani:
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
也
Alligator
Considerably
可
Lip Ring
Possible
未
Jet
Not Yet
孝
Teacher
Filial Piety
各
Kiss
Each
乃
Stairs
From
及
Escalator
Reach
冊
Bookshelf
Book Counter
凶
Treasure Chest
Villain
兼
Mona Lisa
Concurrently
莫
Greenhouse
Endless
享
Sock
Receive
甚
Crab Trap
Very
Outside WaniKani:
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
巴
Bed
Comma design, Tomoe
兀
Pi
Bald
耂
Coffin
Elderly (variant)
乍
Key
While
开
Lantern
Open
冋
Mustache
Upside-down box (variant)
且
Top Hat
Moreover
勿
Wing
Must not
云
Cloud
Say, each, cloud in Chinese
咅
Clown
Spit out
丙
Dynamite
Third class
圣
Tombstone
holy
其
Crab
that
畐
Scarecrow
to fill, roll of cloth
坴
Womb
clod of earth, land
勺
Pool
a unit of length, ladle
兑
Guard
exchange, convert
苟
Poem
any, at all, in the least
尭
Gambler
high, far
曽
Mask
formerly, ex-
复
Black Hole
return, to go back
啇
Mohawk
stalk, stem, foot, base
爰
Football
lead on to, therefore, then
冓
Lifeguard
to combine
禹
Mantis
Emperor Yu Who Controlled the Waters (flood control, Xia dynasty)
甫
Wedding
for the first time, not until
扁
Library
flat, small, level
呉
Catapult
give, do something for
离
Rocket
rare beast, strange, elegant
卬
Cat Pirate
to raise, high
夋
Spider
to crouch, to squat
喿
Syrup
chirping of birds (品 (“three birds”) + 木 (“tree”))
堇
Boot
violet flower
亥
Slice
sign of the hog
辟
Hot Pepper
false, punish
㐮
Nurse
to rise, to raise
夆
Signpost
resist
敝
Penguin
be worn-out, be defeated
禺
Splinter
long-tailed monkey
夌
Frostbite
to surpass
业
Spikes
north (hyogai variant)
Radicals that are Kanji with similar meaning
From WaniKani:
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
九
Nine
川
River
七
Seven
本
Book
五
Five
天
Heaven
中
Middle
丁
Street
千
Thousand
今
Now
古
Old
元
Origin
主
Master
不
Not
世
World
会
Meet
市
City
亡
Death
占
Fortune
周
Circumference
夫
Husband
寺
Temple
易
Easy
合
Suit
反
Anti
正
Correct
永
Eternity
重
Heavy
史
History
介
Jammed In
台
Machine
辛
Spicy
Spicy, Bitter
束
Bundle
失
Fault
曲
Music
Music, Bend
売
Sell
少
Few
申
Humble
兄
Older Brother
令
Orders
単
Simple
亜
Asia
予
Beforehand
業
Business
早
Early
免
Excuse
直
Fix
求
Request
者
Someone
共
Together
弟
Younger Brother
央
Center
丸
Circle
東
East
象
Elephant
果
Fruit
良
Good
百
Hundred
意
Idea
原
Original
品
Products
才
Genius
分
Part
公
Public
井
Well
丈
Height
男
Man
句
Paragraph
去
Past
歩
Walk
付
Attach
楽
Comfort
祭
Festival
吉
Good Luck
無
Nothing
争
Conflict
幸
Happiness
昔
Long Ago
午
Noon
先
Previous
成
Become
司
Director
我
Ego
感
Feeling
由
Reason
右
Right
義
Righteousness
刃
Blade
半
Half
次
Next
番
Number
Number in a series
平
Peace
能
Ability
充
Allocate
呂
Bathtub
Bath
安
Cheap
亭
Restaurant
道
Road
受
Accept
制
Control
旦
Dawn
客
Guest
然
Nature
両
Both
京
Capital
友
Friend
交
Mix
告
Announce
章
Chapter
万
Ten Thousand
倉
Warehouse
召
Call
化
Change
出
Exit
農
Farming
民
Peoples
代
Substitute
余
Surplus
屯
Barracks
巨
Giant
麗
Lovely
奇
Odd
専
Specialty
上
Above
責
Blame
区
District
系
Lineage
北
North
監
Oversee
甲
Turtle Shell
郎
Guy
並
Line Up
必
Certain
舎
Cottage
夜
Night
同
Same
内
Inside
間
Interval
蔵
Storehouse
広
Wide
員
Member
帯
Belt
将
Commander
為
Sake
明
Bright
発
Departure
南
South
甘
Sweet
貴
Valuable
兆
Omen
賞
Prize
串
Skewer
暴
Violence
包
Wrap
有
Have
県
Prefecture
空
Sky
思
Think
歯
Tooth
君
Buddy
旧
Former
岡
Hill
真
Reality
巻
Scroll
三
Three
雇
Employ
毎
Every
保
Preserve
屋
Shop
竜
Dragon
更
Again
家
House
守
Protect
太
Fat
恵
Favor
波
Wave
容
Form
光
Sunlight
回
Times
名
Name
胃
Stomach
疑
Doubt
凹
Concave
凸
Convex
下
Below
勇
Courage
玄
Mysterious
Outside WaniKani:
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
巳
Snake
sign of the snake in zodiac
壴
Drum
A drum 口 with two ends, a base and feathers 土 on top
弗
Dollar
Dollar, fluoride
丩
Vines
to join ropes, to graft vines
尞
Charcoal
fuel used for sacrifices
Radicals that are something else printable
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
L
Lion
That’s… literally just the English letter L
ナ
Narwhal
Katakana na ; a hand
メ
Treasure
Katakana me
マ
Mama
Katakana ma
ユ
Hook
Katakana yu
⺍
Grass
Katakana tsu
ホ
Angel
Katakana ho
Radicals that are images
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/gun 𠂉 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/leaf 丆 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/beggar 丂 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/kick 𧘇 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/viking 𰃮 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary Shinjitai form of both 𤇾 and 𦥯
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/cape 𠃌 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary backward tip of a hook
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/hills
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/gladiator 龹 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/pope
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/spring 𡗗 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/squid 㑒 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary 僉 in Japanese shinjitai (unofficial)
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/yurt
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/chinese 𦰩 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary 堇 found in the Ming dynasty Chinese dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/bear 㠯 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/blackjack 龷 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/trash 𠫓 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/tofu
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/creeper
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/bar 㦮 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/saw 巩 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (Simplified Chinese variant 巩 )
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/zombie 袁 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary long kimono
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/explosion
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/morning 龺 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary 𠦝 , which is a variant form of 卓
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/death-star 俞 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/comb
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/elf
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/coral 丞 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/cactus A traditional form of https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/spikes ?
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/satellite 䍃 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/psychopath https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/鬯 + https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/hair + https://www.wanikani.com/radicals/forehead
Radicals that are already a radical with canonical name
Radical
WaniKani
Standard
大
Big
入
Enter
亠
Lid
山
Mountain
口
Mouth
人
Person
力
Power
日
Sun
Sun, day
木
Tree
二
Two
女
Woman
弓
Bow
子
Child
牛
Cow
犬
Dog
夕
Evening
目
Eye
火
Fire
彡
Hair
手
Hand
儿
Legs
ム
Private
Private, katakana mu
田
Rice Paddy
小
Small
立
Stand
石
Stone
止
Stop
刀
Sword
水
Water
白
White
文
Writing
矢
Arrow
方
Direction
戸
Door
干
Dry
父
Father
心
Heart
生
Life
Live
匕
Spoon
竹
Bamboo
支
Branch
車
Car
弋
Ceremony
厂
Cliff
耳
Ear
足
Foot
Foot, leg
虫
Insect
皿
Plate
赤
Red
米
Rice
宀
Roof
士
Samurai
Scholar, Samurai
見
See
貝
Shellfish
糸
Thread
斤
Axe
青
Blue
Blue (variant)
色
Color
羽
Feathers
Feather, wing
行
Go
金
Gold
Gold, metal
冫
Ice
肉
Meat
雨
Rain
走
Run
言
Say
自
Self
里
Village
西
West
血
Blood
食
Eat
禾
Grain
欠
Lack
斗
Ladle
長
Long
首
Neck
羊
Sheep
舌
Tongue
鳥
Bird
黒
Black
舟
Boat
氏
Clan
魚
Fish
門
Gate
己
Oneself
Self
豕
Pig
卩
Stamp
几
Table
黄
Yellow
比
Compare
穴
Hole
馬
Horse
聿
Brush
豆
Beans
疒
Sick
Sickness
皮
Skin
音
Sound
身
Body
面
Face
谷
Valley
虍
Tiger
飛
Fly
衣
Clothes
鬼
Demon
革
Leather
臣
Servant
Retainer
牙
Fang
爪
Claw
亀
Turtle
骨
Bone
瓜
Melon
豸
Badger
耒
Plow
風
Wind
高
Tall
216 Likes
Maaaate! This is above and beyond. You’re amazing!
12 Likes
japerro
February 25, 2020, 2:23pm
8
Nice work! Intermittent comments will keep this resource from being timed out and deleted. Thanks, Belthazar!
5 Likes
I don’t think it ever gets deleted. Just no longer able to be replied to.
1 Like
adr-p
March 19, 2020, 11:42am
10
Is there maybe a list of Wanikani radicals with some frequency information (how many kanji use them)?
1 Like
That’s good, because this is some very good information!
1 Like
I mean yeah, even if the forums die they can act as a messy wanikani wiki of sorts.
2 Likes
(Intensely feels sorry for any newbie who thought “wolverine” radical was official and legit
12 Likes
milmads
August 24, 2020, 11:59pm
14
Thank you so much!! This is incredible helpful.
3 Likes
Thank you! I used this to upload the radical names that I learned outside of WK to the synonym lists. I now have to work on making my own mnemonics for the kanji for which I keep getting the readings wrong, since the WK mnemonics are sometimes too bizarre or detached for me to remember.
2 Likes
codepro
October 13, 2020, 1:27pm
16
I wonder if we can make some sort of petition to turn WK radicals into UNICODE or ASCII standards…
3 Likes
coicoy
December 24, 2020, 1:19am
17
I wish they would simply get rid of this nonsense. I find it a complete waste of my time. You’d be surprised by how many synonyms I have attached to this abomination. LOL. Its inclusion has been counterproductive to my kanji learning.
6 Likes
omoide
December 24, 2020, 7:52am
18
I think zombie is available as a character (as opposed to png-only) : 袁
Shuowen phono-semantic compound ( 形聲 叀 衣
‡ (of clothing) long
1 Like
Nah, that’s not quite it. The strokes are the bottom are different.
2 Likes
Well, it’s not bad at all! Out of the 478 WK radicals, 348 are either the same as the official radical or a radical based on a kanji; 106 if we only consider the first category. 32 are “not a radical”.
3 Likes
