📖 Meaning & Origin
The 目 radical is a pictogram of an eye — originally a vertical oval with a pupil, rotated to its current horizontal form. It appears in kanji about seeing, looking, and visual perception.
📚 Kanji by JLPT Level
💡 Teacher's Memory Tip
Think of an eye lying on its side — the two horizontal strokes are the eyelids, the vertical strokes are the outer shape of the eye. 目 = eye, seeing.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The 目 radical means 'eye.' It derives from a pictogram of an eye turned sideways. Kanji with 目 often relate to vision, looking, or being observed.
N5 kanji with 目: 目 (eye), 見 (to see — an eye on legs, walking around to see things).
Tilt the rectangle sideways and add lines inside — that's an eye. 目 in a kanji means something about seeing or looking.
Other N5 Radicals
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