偏(へん)

A term used in kanji study to refer to the left-side structural component of a character. In the traditional classification system, kanji components are categorized by their position within the character.

Kanji component positions

• 偏(へん): left side (e.g., the 氵(さんずい) in 海(うみ))
• 旁(つくり): right side (e.g., the 刂(りっとう) in 割(わ)る)
• 冠(かんむり): top (e.g., the 宀(うかんむり) in 家(いえ))
• 脚(あし): bottom (e.g., the 灬(れんが) in 点(てん))
• 構(かまえ): enclosure (e.g., the 門(もんがまえ) in 間(あいだ))
• 垂(たれ): top-left wrap (e.g., the 广(まだれ) in 店(みせ))
• 繞(にょう): bottom-left wrap (e.g., the 辶(しんにょう) in 道(みち))

COMMON RADICALS CALLED 偏(へん):

• 人偏(にんべん): person
• 言偏(ごんべん): speech
• 手偏(てへん): hand
• 木偏(きへん): tree
• 水偏(さんずい): water
• 金偏(かねへん): metal

Note on homophones

Not to be confused with 変(へん) (strange) or 辺(へん) (area, vicinity), which have the same reading but completely different meanings.