The Japanese Radical: 日


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Meaning
day, sun    日

Explanation The radical nichi stands for sun and was originally a circle with an middle point.

Used in these characters:
音
JLPT 4Joyo 1
music, sound, noise
oto, ne, ON, IN
音 立 日
Top: stand, get up 立, bottom: sun/day 日
(My alarm clock plays music:) Get up into the day with sounds & music.  
早
JLPT 4Joyo 1
early, fast
hayai, SŌ
早 旦 日 十
Sunrise 旦 (= The sun 日 above the horizon 一) with a mark 丶
When the (rising) sun is at the marked 丶 point at the horizon, it is still early.  
日
JLPT 5Joyo 1
sun, day
hi, -ka, NICHI, JITSU
日

Originally, the image of the sun with an outer circle 囗 and a central dot, from which this developed: 日, as it is difficult to draw round strokes with a brush.  
間
JLPT 5Joyo 2
space, gap
aida, ma, KAN, KEN
門 日
Combines gate 門 and sun 日
The gate has two wings and the sun shines through: the gap (space).  
時
JLPT 5Joyo 2
time, hour
toki, JI
日 寺
Left: day 日, right: temple 寺 (... made from earth 土 and built with skillful hands 寸)
A day in the temple passes like just one hour.  
春
JLPT 4Joyo 2
spring
haru, SHUN
日
From top: three 三, person 人, sun 日
Three persons sit in the sun. It is spring!  
書
JLPT 5Joyo 2
write
kaku, SHO
日 聿
A hand ナ/ヨ with a painting brush 丨 (cf.筆) writes two lines = on a paper 日
With a brush in my hand on the paper: That's how I write.  
星
JLPT 3Joyo 2
star
hoshi, SEI, SHŌ
日 生
Top: sun 日, below: live 生 (The twig ノ at the growing plant stands for life)
(Because they move in the night's sky:) Suns that are 'alive' are the stars.  
晴
JLPT 3Joyo 2
sunny, bright, clear up
hareru, SEI
日 青 月
Left: day/sun 日, right: young, blue 青 (Growing plants appear in the moonshine 月 as blue and young.)
Sunny and blue (sky) - It's sunny and the weather's cleared up.  
昼
JLPT 4Joyo 2
noon, daytime
hiru, CHŪ
尺 旦 日
Top: measure of length 尺 (from the body 口 one foot 八 forward = 1 Shaku = 30.3 cm), below: sunrise 旦 (sun 日 over the horizon 一)
It is measured in Shaku when the sun is vertically above the horizon: Then it is noon.  
東
JLPT 5Joyo 2
east
higashi, TŌ
木 日 東

The sun 日 rises behind a tree 木 in the east.  
明
JLPT 4Joyo 2
bright, lightful, clear
akarui, akeru, MEI, MYŌ
日 月

Sun 日 and moon 月: Both shine bright and clear.  
曜
JLPT 4Joyo 2
day of the week
YŌ
日 翟 羽 隹
Left: sun 日, right: 翟 (two wings 羽, bird 隹)
The sun on the wings of a bird: This happens every: day of the week.  
暗
JLPT 4Joyo 3
dark, shady, gloomy, unclear
kurai, AN
日 音 立
Left: sun/day 日, right: sound, music 音 (Stand up 立 into the day 日 with music [of the clock radio?])
(You write in this order: 日 → 立 → 日) When the sun stands 立 between two days 日,日 it is: dark.  
意
JLPT 4Joyo 3
intention, mind, thought
I
意 音 立 日 心
Top: sound, noise 音 (Stand up 立 into the day 日 with sound/music [of the clock radio?]), bottom: heart 心
Like sounds of my heart: My intentions!  
温
JLPT 3Joyo 3
warm
atatakai, ON
氵 日 皿
Left: water 氵, right: sun 日 and a bowl/dish 皿
The water on a sunny plate gets warm.  
曲
JLPT 3Joyo 3
melody, bend, turn
magaru, KYOKU
曲 日
A field 田 with two growing plants II
(In the wind) The plants in the field are bending. (Or: Two flutes 笛 play a melody.)  
暑
JLPT 4Joyo 3
hot weather
atsui, SHO
日 者 耂
Top: sun 日, bottom: person 者 (The old man 耂 shows in the sun 日 his whole person.)
The sun is directly above the person - that's hot weather!  
昭
JLPT 3Joyo 3
glorious, clear, bright
SHŌ
日 召
Left: sun 日, right: summon/call s.o. 召 (with sword 刀 and mouth 口 to call sb.)
The sun is calling: It is getting: glorious and bright!  
億
JLPT 3Joyo 4
hundred million
OKU
亻 意 音 立 日
Left: person 亻/人, right: thought 意 (= the sounds 音 of my heart 心) [音 = Stand up 立 into the day 日 with sounds/music [of the clock radio?]
A (normal) person can only think about having 100 million dollar.  
景
JLPT 3Joyo 4
scenery, view, panorama
KEI, KE
景 日 京
Top: sun 日, below: capital 京 (image of a stone lantern)
The sun above the capital is a nice scenery.  
最
JLPT 3Joyo 4
most, extremely, highest
mottomo, SAI
日 取
Top: sun 日, bottom: to take, hold 取 (.. at the ear 耳 with the hand 又)
(It illuminates everything, even the most remote corners:) The sun takes [with its shine] the extremely.  
唱
JLPT 3Joyo 4
sing, recite, intone, preach
tonaeru, SHŌ
口 日
Left: mouth 口, right: two suns 日
Open the mouth widely as big as two suns, when: singing.  
易
JLPT 2Joyo 5
easy, simple, divination, fortune telling
yasui, yasashii, EKI, I
易 日 勿
Top: sun 日, below: rays 勿
Sunshines (Sunrays) makes it easy.  
旧
JLPT 2Joyo 5
past, old times, former old ...
KYŪ
旧 丨 日
Left: var. of one 丨, right: day 日
One day has passed, which means 'old times'.  
暴
JLPT 2Joyo 5
expose, violence, outburst, rage
abareru/ku, BŌ, BAKU
日 共 水
From top: sun 日, together with 共 (Put the plants 艹 on the table together-) and water 水
The sun together with the water exposes the violence.  
映
JLPT 4Joyo 6
reflect, shine, project(cinema)
utsuru/su, haeru, EI
日 央
Left: sun 日, right: center 央 (The yoke 冂 on the shoulders of the big 大 man is centered.)
When the sun reaches the center (= zenith) everything is reflecting.  
是
JLPT 1Joyo 7
right, just so, proper, this
kore, ZE
是 日 正
Top: sun 日, below: correct 正 (at the line 一 to stop 止 is correct)
The sun looks correctly: That is right.  
暖
JLPT 2Joyo 6
warm
atatakai/maru/meru, DAN
日 爰 爫 友
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.  
晩
JLPT 2Joyo 6
nightfall, evening, late
BAN
日 免 ⺈ 儿
Left: sun 日, right: escape, permit 免 (an escaping rabbit 兔=兎=[うさぎ] - long ear ⺈, big eyes 罒, legs 儿)
The sun escapes during nightfall.  
韻
JLPT 1Joyo 7
rhyme, tone
IN
音 貝 員 立 日
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.  
憶
JLPT 1Joyo 7
remember, recollection, reminiscence, think
OKU
忄 意 音 立 日
Left: feeling 忄, right: thought/mind 意 (= the sounds 音 of my heart 心)
Feelings and thoughts will be remembered (= reminiscences).  
暇
JLPT 1Joyo 7
leisure, spare time
hima, KA
日 殳
Left: day 日, center: var. of door 戸 (with stairs 二), right: tool コ, hand 又
(DIY = Home improvement as a hobby:) The day when I repair the door and the stairs with a tool in my hand is my leisure.  
響
JLPT 1Joyo 7
resound, echo, get known
hibiku, KYŌ
音 艮 立 日
Top: home town 郷 (The thread 糸 of the 'husband' 郎 connects to the hometown.) [husband 郎 = the 'good' 良 from the village⻏], bottom: sound 音 (Stand up 立 into the day 日 with music [of the clock radio?])
(There always remains a reference to the home.) From the home town is sounding an echo.  
暁
JLPT 1Joyo 7
dawn, daybreak
akatsuki, GYŌ
日 旦
Left: sun 日, right: simplified forest 森, one 一 (= horizon) and legs 儿 (cf. 焼)
The sun shines through the forest (above the horizon) and is walking towards dawn. (before sun rise 旦)  
更
JLPT 2Joyo 7
renew, anew, change, fresh, again
sara, fukeru/kasu, KŌ
日 更 丈
Center: sun 日, rest: measure of length 丈 (big 大 person measures with long step distance of 3m)
(It rises every day:) The size 大 of the sun 日 is shown (with a long step) anew and again.  
香
JLPT 2Joyo 7
fragrance, smell, aroma, scent
ka, kaoru/ri, KŌ
禾 日
Top: rice plant 禾, below: sun 日
Rice plants in the sun have a fragrance.  
昆
JLPT 1Joyo 7
descendants, insect, multitude
KON
日 比
Actually the pictograph of an insect (top: carapace 日, below: legs 比 [=comparison of two sitting 匕 persons])
The sun over the two sitting persons 比, the: descendants.  
婚
JLPT 2Joyo 7
marriage
KON
女 氏 日
Left: woman 女, right: family/clan 氏 (A distorted person 人 = 亻= 厂 together with a "plus +" as a multiplier results in a family.), sun 日
The woman comes into the family at the day of the marriage.  
暫
JLPT 1Joyo 7
a short while, temporarily, briefly, a while
shibaraku, ZAN
斬 日 車 斤
Top: kill by slicing 斬 ([An accident] with a car 車 or an axe 斤 can kill by slicing), below: sun/day 日
If you wanted to build a vehicle using an axe in only one day, this would be a short duration.  
旨
JLPT 1Joyo 7
delicious, tasty, relish, purpose, skillful, expert
mune, umai, SHI
旨 匕 日
Top: typically this radical 匕 is understood as a sitting person, even though this kanji 匕 [さじ] means "spoon", bottom: sun 日
On the spoon in the sun and is sth. delicious. How skillful!  
湿
JLPT 2Joyo 7
damp, moist, humid, wet
shimeru/su, SHITSU
氵 日 业
Left: water 氵, right: sun 日, hollow 业 (= extinct volcanic vent)
The water makes the sunny hole damp and humid.  
旬
JLPT 1Joyo 7
a 10 day period, decade
JUN
勹 日
Wrap sth. 勹, sun 日
When the sun is wrapped (by clouds), then often for the duration of 10 days.  
昇
JLPT 2Joyo 7
rise up, raising, ascent, promote
noboru, SHŌ
日 旦
Top: sunrise 旦 (sun above horizon 一), bottom: measure of volume 升 (three upward directed strokes ノ亅丨
Like a sunrise 旦 is this slope ノ directing upwards: An ascent.  
晶
JLPT 1Joyo 7
crystal, clear, sparkle
SHŌ
日
3 x sun 日
Three suns as clear as a crystal.  
昔
JLPT 3Joyo 3
old days, long ago, past, antiquity
mukashi, SEKI, SHAKU
昔 日 共
Top: variation of together 共 (Put the plants 艹 on the table together), bottom: sun 日
Together in the sun we think of the old days.  
替
JLPT 2Joyo 7
exchange, substitute
kaeru/waru, TAI
夫 日
Top: 2 x husband 夫 (= big 大 person with extra-caring arms 一), below: sun 日
Two husbands are during sunshine (= during good times) exchangeable.  
曇
JLPT 2Joyo 7
to cloud, dim, mar, fog
kumoru, DON
日 雨 云
Top: sun 日, bottom: cloud 雲 (= rain 雨 & fog 云)
If the sun is above the clouds, it is cloudy.  
普
JLPT 2Joyo 7
widely, universally, generally
amaneku, FU
並 日
Top: row, line, common 並 (originally 2 x stand 立立 [for row], now merged to 並), below: sun 日
Lining up in the sun is done generally.  
暮
JLPT 2Joyo 6
live, sunset, end, life circumstances
kureru/rasu, BO
莫 日 艹
Top: sinking/going down 莫 (The plants 艹 are made by the sun 日 to be large 大 [= as long shadows] at sunset.), bottom: sun 日 [Notice: means sunrise such as in 'morning 朝']
The sinking sun means sunset. [OR: The plants 艹 needed from one sun 日 to the next big 大 sun 日 are the life circumstances.]  
暦
JLPT 1Joyo 7
calendar, almanac
koyomi, REKI
厂 林 日 麻
Outside: cliff 厂, below: forest 林, sun 日 [cf. hemp 麻]
A cliff with a forest in the sun: a picture for a calendar.  
曖
JLPT -Joyo 7
not clear, vague, obscure
AI
日 愛 夂
Left: day/sun 日, right: love 愛 (A hand reaching down 爫 to cover 冖 the heart 心 and an upturned foot 夂: That is love)
In daylight love becomes unclear.  
旺
JLPT -Joyo 7
beautiful, flourishing, vigorous
Ō
日 王
Left: sun/day 日, right: king 王
A day like a king: beautiful and flourishing.  
曽
JLPT -Joyo 7
formerly, before
SŌ, ZO
曽 日 丷
From top: out of 丷 (here: rain), field 田, sun 日
At rain on the field and under the sun, that's how we worked formerly.  
旦
JLPT -Joyo 7
daybreak, dawn, morning
TAN, DAN
旦 日
Top: sun 日, bottom: a horizontal line 一 as the horizon
When the sun appears above the horizon it is: daybreak.  
昧
JLPT -Joyo 7
dark, ambiguous, unclear, dubious
MAI
日 未 旦
Left: sun/day 日, right: not yet/ immature 未 (The upper branch of the tree 木 is still shorter =immature.)
The day is still immature: It is dark and ambiguous.  
冥
JLPT -Joyo 7
dark, deep, unfathomable, divine
MEI, MYŌ
冖 日 六
From top: cover 冖, sun/day 日, six 六
A cover makes the sun-light sixfold darker and unfathomable.  
闇
JLPT -Joyo 7
dark, darkness
yami,
門 音 立 日
Outside: gate 門, inside: sound 音 (Stand up 立 into the day 日 with music [of the clock radio?]), (cf.暗)
The gate stands 立 in front of the sun 日 and causes darkness (behind it).  

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

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