The Japanese Radical: 爫


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Meaning
grap downwards    爫

Explanation The radical notsu shows a hand which is reaching downwards.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 3Joyo 3
receive, get
ukeru, JU
From top: hand reaching down 爫, cover 冖, hand 又
A hand from above holds a cover, another hand receives it.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
love
AI
From top: hand reaching down 爫, cover 冖, heart 心, sitting cross-legged 夂 (or upturned foot)
A hand reaching down to cover the heart of the person sitting cross-legged: That is love.  
JLPT 4Joyo 4
vegetable, greens
na, SAI
Top: plant 艹, below: to pluck/harvest 采 (A hand 爫 reaches down into a tree 木)
(Vegetables grow directly on the ground:) Plants that are plucked from above are vegetables.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
to pick sth., to pluck, take on, gather
toru, SAI
Left: hand 扌, right: to take, pluck 采 (a hand reaches down 爫 into a tree 木 [cf. vegetable 菜])
A hand reaches downwards into a tree for plucking sth.  
JLPT 2Joyo 5
pass on, transfer, confer, teach, award, grant
sazukeru, JU
Left: hand 扌, right: receive 受 (A hand reaching down 爫 holds a cover 冖, another hand 又 receives it.)
A hand that has received will also pass on. (Or: Three hands reach out for the blanket 冖 to pass it on.)  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
commander, leader
masa, SHŌ
Left: bed 丬 (cf. 爿 developed from the image of a halved 片 tree), right: a hand reaches down 爫, skillful hand 寸
A simple bed, a hand reaching down and a skillful hand defines (the skills of) a commander.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
warm
atatakai/maru/meru, DAN
Left: sun 日, right: (Chinese only) to help 爰 (a hand reaches down 爫 to give a rope ノ [with two 二 knots] and another hand 又 takes this help.)
The sun helps to warm up.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
breast, milk
chichi, chi, NYŪ
Left: nourish 孚 (a hand reaches down 爫 to a child 子), right: kneeling person 乚
To reach down to the child, when you are kneeling: You give breast and milk.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
hide, conceal, suppress
kakureru, IN
Left: hill 阝, right: a hand reaches down 爫, hand ナ/ヨ, heart 心
Behind a hill or two hands, the heart can hide.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
help, aid, support
EN
Left hand 扌, right: (Chinese only) to help 爰 (a hand reaches down 爫 to give a rope ノ [with two 二 knots] and another hand 又 takes this help.)
The hand helps with support.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
peaceful, calm, quiet, mild
odayaka, ON
Left: rice plant 禾, right: hand reaching down 爫, hand ナ/ヨ, heart 心
A rice plant and two hands covering the heart symbolize peaceful calmness.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
loosen, slacken, lessen, ease
yurui/mu/meru/yaka, KAN
Left: thread 糸, right: (Chinese only) to help 爰 (a hand reaches down 爫 to give a rope ノ [with two 二 knots] and another hand 又 takes this help.)
(On the loom, the tension should not be too high:) The thread is helpful if it is loose.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
mountain stream, gorge, ravine
KEI
Left: water 氵, right top: hand reaching down 爫, below: husband 夫 (= big 大 person with extra-caring arms 一)
Into the raging water, a hand grabs the husband and saves him out of the mountain stream at the gorge.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
chicken (domesticated)
niwatori, KEI
Left: hand reaching down 爫, husband 夫, right: bird 鳥. ('niwa' means garden, thus "niwatori" is: "gardenbird")
(The chicken is domesticated but other birds would fly away when touched) The protecting hand of the husband is with the 'gardenbird': The chicken.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
coloring, makeup, painting
irodoru, SAI
Left: to pluck 采 (.. a hand reaches down 爫 into a tree 木), right: hair 彡
I pluck something (like the staining plant 'henna') for my hair to be colored.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
baron/marquis, peerage(=nobleness), peers
SHAKU
From top: hand reaching down 爫, plate 罒/皿, var of food 食 and skillful hand 寸
A hand hands over the plates to serve food skillfully to the baron.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
twinkle of eyes, blink of stars, flash
matataku, SHUN
Left: eye 目, right: hand reaching down 爫, cover 冖, 舛 two var. of foot 夕/止 (opposing feet) as at: to dance 舞
The eye sees a hand covering two unequal feet and twinkles.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
encourage, praise, exhort, promote
SHŌ
Top: commander 将 (A simple bed 丬, a hand caring hand 爫 [=reaching down] and a skillful hand 寸 needs the commander), bottom: big 大
A commander with grandeur encourages.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
gentle, compromise, peace, settle
DA
Top: hand reaching down 爫 (here in the sense of: 'to care for sb', like at milk or breast feeding 乳), below: woman 女
The (caring) hand of a woman symbolizes a gentle compromise.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rice plant
ine, ina,
Left: rice plant 禾, right: hand reaching down/harvesting 爫, past, old times 旧 (one 一 day 日 has passed.)
Rice plants plucked by hand, these were in old days: the rice plants!  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
float, fleet, surface
uku/kabu/kaberu/kareru, FU
Left: water 氵, right: nourish 孚 (hand reaching down 爫 to a child 子)
Into the water a hand is reaching down for a child that is floating.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
shake, swing, rock, pitch, flicker
yuru/reru/suru/suburu,
Left: hand 扌, right: hand reaching down 爫, var. of can 缶 (lid and can opener 十 of that can 凵)
(Due to an earthquake?) Use your hand to reach downwards to the can [without half of the lid ノ] because it is: shaking/swinging.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
noh-chant, recitation
utai, utau,
Left: word 言, right: var. of shake/swing/rock 揺 (Two hand 扌,爫 reach out for a swinging/shaking can 缶.)
Words are swinging in Noh chant.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
licentiousness, lewdness, dirty
midara, IN
Left: water 氵, right: hand reaching down 爫; 壬 (Samurai 士 with hat)
To (splash) water and grab the samurai's hat from above is licentiousness.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
princess, a noble lady
EN
Left: woman 女, right: (Chinese only) to help 爰 (A hand reaches down 爫 to give a rope ノ [with two 二 knots] and another hand 又 takes this help.)
The woman who is that helpful is my 'princess'.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
pluck, get, take
SAI
Top: hand reaching down 爫, bottom: tree 木
Pictograph of a hand reaching down into a tree to pluck (or get) sth.  

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

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