Radical 4 of 20 · へん · left

氵さんずい: water

Water and liquids: seas, rivers, ponds, washing, swimming.

Heads 49 of the 1026 kanji taught in Japanese primary school.

字源 · WHY THIS SHAPE

From a picture to 氵

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
Flowing water: a current down the middle with splashes on both sides.
2. Squeezed to the left
On the left, the stream becomes three drops. That is where the name comes from: さんずい, “three of water”.

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

What the family is about

Water and liquids: seas, rivers, ponds, washing, swimming.

海sea
池pond
泳swim
湯hot water

When the hint fails

Many abstract words also carry 氵. The water hint does not help with them.

法method
活lively
決decide

The 氵 family, grade by grade

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

Grade 1小1 · 1

水
water

Grade 2小2 · 4

活
lively, resuscitation
海
sea, ocean
池
pond, cistern
汽
vapor, steam

Grade 3小3 · 15

決
decide, fix
流
current, a sink
消
extinguish, blow out
深
deep, heighten
港
harbor
注
pour, irrigate
油
oil, fat
波
waves, billows
洋
ocean, sea
温
warm
泳
swim
湖
lake
湯
hot water, bath
氷
icicle, ice
漢
Sino-, China

Grade 4小4 · 12

法
method, law
治
reign, be at peace
求
request, want
満
full, fullness
清
pure, purify
沖
open sea, offing
漁
fishing, fishery
浴
bathe, be favored with
潟
lagoon
浅
shallow, superficial
泣
cry, weep
滋
nourishing, more & more

Grade 5小5 · 9

減
dwindle, decrease
演
performance, act
準
semi-, correspond to
河
river
測
fathom, plan
混
mix, blend
永
eternity, long
液
fluid, liquid
潔
undefiled, pure

Grade 6小6 · 8

派
faction, group
済
settle (debt, etc.), relieve (burden)
激
violent, get excited
源
source, origin
泉
spring, fountain
沿
run alongside, follow along
洗
wash, inquire into
潮
tide, salt water