Radical 2 of 20 · へん · left

木きへん: tree

Trees, wood, and things made of wood.

Heads 48 of the 1026 kanji taught in Japanese primary school.

字源 · WHY THIS SHAPE

From a picture to 木

Ancient forms: one attested example each, from the Ancient Chinese characters project on Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Shapes varied a lot by time and place. Tap an image for its source.

1. The picture
A tree: the horizontal line is the branches, the vertical line is the trunk, and the two strokes going down are the roots spreading into the ground.
2. Squeezed to the left
On the left side, the last stroke on the right shrinks to a short flick so it doesn’t bump into its neighbour. Look at 村 and 校.

Origins follow the commonly taught explanations. Where scholars disagree, we say so.

What the family is about

Trees, wood, and things made of wood.

林grove
板plank
橋bridge
柱pillar

When the hint fails

Some very common kanji are filed under 木 but are no longer about trees.

本book
東east
来come

The 木 family, grade by grade

Every primary-school kanji filed under 木. Tap one to see its meaning.

Grade 1小1 · 6

本
book, present
村
village, town
校
exam, school
木
tree, wood
森
forest, woods
林
grove, forest

Grade 2小2 · 3

東
east
来
come, due
楽
music, comfort

Grade 3小3 · 8

業
business, vocation
横
sideways, side
様
Esq., way
橋
bridge
根
root, radical
植
plant
板
plank, board
柱
pillar, post

Grade 4小4 · 16

機
loom, mechanism
案
plan, suggestion
果
fruit, reward
末
end, close
極
extreme, pole
松
pine tree
材
lumber, log
未
un-, not yet
標
signpost, seal
束
bundle, sheaf
栄
flourish, prosperity
札
tag, paper money
梅
plum
械
contraption, fetter
梨
pear tree
栃
horse chestnut, (kokuji)

Grade 5小5 · 7

査
investigate
格
status, rank
検
examination, investigate
構
posture, stance
条
article, clause
桜
cherry
枝
bough, branch

Grade 6小6 · 8

権
authority, power
株
stocks, stump
模
imitation, copy
染
dye, color
枚
sheet of..., counter for flat thin objects or sheets
樹
timber, trees
棒
rod, stick
机
desk, table