📖 Meaning & Origin
The 子 radical represents a child with arms outstretched and legs below. It appears in kanji related to children, offspring, learning, and characters (letters).
📚 Kanji by JLPT Level
✍️ Where it appears & how it changes shape
子 appears on the left in 孫, on the right in 好, and at the bottom in 学 and 字. It is small and stable, changing little wherever it goes.
🔍 Don't confuse it with
子 without the long horizontal stroke. 了 means completion, as in 終了.
Not a confusion but a useful pair: 字 (character) is 子 under a roof, while 学 (study) has 子 under a different top. Both are about children and learning.
📈 Beyond N5 — what comes next
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 季 | き | season | N3 |
| 孫 | そん / まご | grandchild | N2 |
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
Here 子 is read し and carries no meaning of its own.
🎯 How to use this radical in JLPT study
子 is a good example of a radical that contributes meaning by association rather than description. 学 and 字 are not about children literally; they are about what children do: learning, and the letters they learn. Holding that looser sense of 'connected to' will help you more than expecting every radical to be literal.
⚠️ The mistake I see most often
Reading 好 as something to do with children because 子 is visible. 好 is woman plus child and means 'to like'. The parts contribute to a combined idea rather than each keeping its own meaning.
💡 Teacher's Memory Tip
A small figure with arms wide open and legs dangling below — a baby reaching out. 子 kanji involve children, young things, or things children do (like learning).
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The 子 radical means 'child.' It appears in words about children, family, and learning — because children are the ones who study and grow.
N5 kanji with 子: 子 (child), 学 (study — child under a roof, learning), 字 (character/letter — child in a house = learning to write).
A tiny figure with arms spread and legs below — a baby reaching up. Remember 学 (study) by imagining a child under a roof, learning.
Other N5 Radicals
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