📖 Meaning & Origin
The 口 radical is a simple square representing the mouth — an opening through which we speak, eat, and breathe. It appears in kanji about speech, eating, entrances, and counts (口 is a counter for people).
📚 Kanji by JLPT Level
✍️ Where it appears & how it changes shape
口 appears on the left in 味 and 呼, on top in 名 and 古, and inside 右. Repeated three times it becomes 品 (goods). It keeps its square shape but shrinks noticeably when it is one part among several.
🔍 Don't confuse it with
The most important pair on this page. 囗 is a full enclosure, drawn larger, and it surrounds other components rather than sitting beside them: 国, 回, 四, 図. Same shape, different job, different radical.
右 contains 口, but 左 does not. Its lower part is 工 (work). The two kanji look symmetrical and are not built the same way.
📈 Beyond N5 — what comes next
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 味 | み / あじ | taste, flavour | N4 |
| 呼 | こ / よぶ | to call | N3 |
| 品 | ひん / しな | goods, article | N3 |
JLPT does not publish official kanji lists by level. These levels follow the commonly used reference lists and are a guide, not a guarantee.
🗣️ Words you will actually meet
🎯 How to use this radical in JLPT study
口 covers two related ideas: things done with the mouth (味, 呼, 吸) and openings generally (入口, 出口). When you meet an unknown kanji with 口 on the left, speaking or eating is the strongest first guess. Note that 言 also covers speech. 口 leans towards the physical mouth, 言 towards language.
⚠️ The mistake I see most often
Assuming 右 and 左 are built the same way because they are opposites and look alike. 右 is hand plus mouth; 左 is hand plus work. Learners who group them as a matching pair often write 左 with 口 by mistake.
💡 Teacher's Memory Tip
A small square = an open mouth. Any kanji with 口 involves something going in or out: sounds, words, food, or people (counted by 口).
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The 口 radical means 'mouth' or 'opening.' It's one of the simplest radicals — a square — and appears in many common kanji at N5.
N5 kanji with 口: 口 (mouth), 名 (name — evening + mouth = speaking your name at night), 古 (old — 口 below a cross = old words), 右 (right — hand + mouth). Note that 左 (left) does NOT contain 口: its lower part is 工 (work). The two look symmetrical but are built differently.
Draw a simple box □ — that's a mouth. Kanji with □ inside or as the base usually involve speaking, eating, or opening/closing.
Other N5 Radicals
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