部首

• Reading: ぶしゅ
• Romaji: bushu
• Kanji breakdown: 部 (bu) — section, division; 首 (shu) — head, chief
• Pronunciation: /bɯ.ɕɯ/

Meaning

Radical; a component of a kanji character used for classification in dictionaries.

A noun referring to the classifying component of a kanji, used to organise characters in traditional dictionaries. There are 214 traditional radicals (康熙部首). Knowledge of radicals helps learners look up unfamiliar kanji and understand character composition. Common radical positions include へん (left side), つくり (right side), かんむり (top), and あし (bottom).

Examples

1. この漢字の部首はさんずいで、水に関係がある。 The radical of this kanji is sanzui, which is related to water.
2. 部首を覚えると漢字の意味が推測しやすくなる。 Learning radicals makes it easier to guess the meaning of kanji.
3. 辞書で漢字を引くとき、部首から探す方法がある。 When looking up kanji in a dictionary, one method is to search by radical.

Usage Guide

Context: language study, kanji, dictionaries, education

Tone: educational

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 部 (bu, section/division) + 首 (shu, head/chief). Literally 'the head of a section,' as radicals serve as the primary classification headers in traditional character dictionaries.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated