๐ Meaning & Origin
The ็ซ radical represents fire and flames. As the bottom variant ็ฌ (four dots), it appears in kanji related to heat, cooking, and fire. At N5, ็ซ (Tuesday in Japanese, literally 'fire day') is the core kanji.
๐ Kanji by JLPT Level
๐ Don't confuse it with
Similar outline once handwritten quickly. ็ซ has two short side strokes; ๅคง has none.
Also appears at the bottom of kanji (ๆ, ๆฅ). ็ฌ is four separate short strokes; ๅฟ has a curved base stroke.
๐ Beyond N5 โ what comes next
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| ็น | ใฆใ | point, dot, mark | N4 |
| ็ฑ | ใญใค / ใใคใ | heat, fever | N3 |
| ็ผ | ใใใ / ใใ | to burn, to grill | 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.
๐ฃ๏ธ Words you will actually meet
Literally flower + fire.
๐ฏ How to use this radical in JLPT study
็ซ sits on the left in ็ผ and ็ฏ, and at the bottom it flattens into ็ฌ, four short strokes called ใใฃใ, seen in ็น, ็ ง, ็ฑ and ็ก. The change is dramatic enough that many learners never connect ็ฌ with fire at all. When you see those four short strokes along the bottom of a kanji, fire or heat is the first guess to try: ็ฑ (heat), ็ผ (grill), ็ ง (shine). It is a reliable guess but not a rule; ็ก (nothing) ends the same way for unrelated historical reasons, so treat ็ฌ as strong evidence rather than proof. One counting habit to fix: ็ฌ is four strokes, not one, even though it looks like a line of dots, and stroke count matters when you look a kanji up by radical.
๐ก Teacher's Memory Tip
Four strokes like flickering flames. The four dots at the bottom (็ฌ) look like a gas burner, with heat rising up from below.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
The ็ซ radical means 'fire.' It represents both actual fire and concepts of heat, burning, and energy. ็ซๆๆฅ (Tuesday) literally means 'fire-day.'
N5 kanji: ็ซ (fire/Tuesday). As you advance, you'll encounter ็ผ (burn), ็ (flame), ็ (smoke) in N4/N3.
Imagine flames shooting up: the two strokes in ็ซ look like fire rising. Or think of the four bottom dots (็ฌ) as a gas burner producing heat.
Other N5 Radicals
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