What makes humans unique? Our hands. Writing (書く), reading (読む), striking (打つ), grabbing (取る) — nearly every fine-motor action depends on them.
This article teaches you 20 hand-action kanji and reveals the secret of the 扌 (てへん) radical.
Core Kanji Table
Writing & Reading
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 書 | ショ (sho) | か (ka) | write | 書く (かく, to write), 書類 (しょるい, documents) | 書道 = calligraphy |
| 読 | ドク (doku) | よ (yo) | read | 読む (よむ, to read), 読書 (どくしょ, reading) | 読書 = reading books |
| 描 | ビョウ (byō) | えが (ega)・か (ka) | draw/depict | 描く (えがく, to draw), 描写 (びょうしゃ, description) | 描く = draw/depict |
| 撮 | サツ (satsu) | と (to) | photograph | 撮る (とる, to take a photo), 撮影 (さつえい, filming) | 写真を撮る = take a photo |
Basic Hand Movements
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 打 | ダ (da) | う (u) | hit/strike | 打つ (うつ, to hit), 打撃 (だげき, blow) | 打ち合わせ = meeting |
| 押 | オウ (ō) | お (o) | push/press | 押す (おす, to push), 押入れ (おしいれ, closet) | 押入れ = built-in closet |
| 引 | イン (in) | ひ (hi) | pull/draw | 引く (ひく, to pull), 引越し (ひっこし, moving) | 引越し = moving house |
| 切 | セツ (setsu) | き (ki) | cut | 切る (きる, to cut), 大切 (たいせつ, important) | 大切 = important |
| 折 | セツ (setsu) | お (o) | fold/break | 折る (おる, to fold), 折紙 (おりがみ, origami) | 折紙 = origami |
| 投 | トウ (tō) | な (na) | throw | 投げる (なげる, to throw), 投票 (とうひょう, voting) | 投票 = voting |
Grasping & Holding
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 取 | シュ (shu) | と (to) | take/grab | 取る (とる, to take), 取引 (とりひき, transaction) | 取引 = business deal |
| 握 | アク (aku) | にぎ (nigi) | grip | 握る (にぎる, to grip), 握手 (あくしゅ, handshake) | 握手 = handshake |
| 指 | シ (shi) | ゆび (yubi)・さ (sa) | finger/point | 指す (さす, to point), 指輪 (ゆびわ, ring) | 指輪 = ring (jewelry) |
| 拾 | シュウ (shū) | ひろ (hiro) | pick up | 拾う (ひろう, to pick up), 収拾 (しゅうしゅう, cleanup) | 拾う = pick up off the ground |
| 捨 | シャ (sha) | す (su) | discard | 捨てる (すてる, to throw away), 取捨 (しゅしゃ, selection) | 取捨選択 = pick and choose |
Control & Operation
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 掛 | カ (ka) | か (ka) | hang/apply | 掛ける (かける, to hang), 電話を掛ける | 掛ける has many uses |
| 掘 | クツ (kutsu) | ほ (ho) | dig | 掘る (ほる, to dig), 発掘 (はっくつ, excavation) | 発掘 = excavation |
| 振 | シン (shin) | ふ (fu) | wave/swing | 振る (ふる, to wave), 振動 (しんどう, vibration) | 手を振る = wave your hand |
| 拭 | ショク (shoku) | ふ (fu)・ぬぐ (nugu) | wipe | 拭く (ふく, to wipe), 清拭 (せいしき, cleansing) | 拭く = wipe |
| 操 | ソウ (sō) | あやつ (ayatsu)・みさお (misao) | operate/control | 操る (あやつる, to manipulate), 操作 (そうさ, operation) | 操作 = operation |
The Secret of 扌 (てへん)
Look closely at these 20 kanji and you'll notice a striking pattern — more than half share the 扌 radical:
打, 押, 投, 拾, 捨, 掛, 掘, 振, 拭, 描, 撮, 操, 指, 握
扌 is the radical form of 手 (hand), called てへん. When you see it, you know the kanji is about a hand action.
| Radical | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 扌 (てへん) | hand action | 打, 押, 投, 掛, 振, 操 |
| 手 (て) | hand itself | 手紙 (てがみ = letter, NOT paper) |
Tip: See 扌? Think hands!
取る vs 握る vs 持つ — Precise Distinctions
These three verbs all relate to "holding things with your hand," but each has a different nuance:
| Verb | Reading | Core Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 取る | とる | take (retrieve from somewhere) | 棚から本を取る (take a book from the shelf) |
| 握る | にぎる | grip (squeeze tightly) | おにぎりを握る (shape a rice ball) |
| 持つ | もつ | hold (have/possess) | 荷物を持つ (carry luggage) |
Easy mnemonic: 取る = get, 握る = grip, 持つ = hold
Another commonly confused pair:
拾う and 捨てる are antonyms — one picks up, the other throws away!
Practice
Q1. The word おにぎり (rice ball) — which kanji is hidden in its name?
Show answer
握. おにぎり (rice ball) comes from 握る (にぎる = to grip, to squeeze), because rice balls are shaped by squeezing rice with your hands.
Q2. What does 打ち合わせ mean?
Show answer
A meeting / pre-discussion. 打ち合わせ (うちあわせ) = a planning meeting or discussion. It combines 打つ (to strike) + 合わせる (to match/combine).
Q3. If you see the 扌 radical in an unfamiliar kanji, what can you guess about it?
Show answer
It's related to hand actions. 扌 = hand (てへん), the radical form of 手. Kanji with this radical are almost always related to hand movements: 打, 押, 投, 掛, 振, 操, etc.
Q4. 取る and 撮る are both read とる — how do you tell them apart?
Show answer
Same reading, different meanings: 取る = to take/grab (general), 撮る = to photograph/film. 写真を撮る = take a photo; 鍵を取る = grab the key.
Q5. Why does 大切 (important) contain 切 (to cut)?
Show answer
大切 (たいせつ) = important, precious. Etymologically, it comes from 大きく切り取る (to cut out a large portion), evolving to mean "something you value greatly." Though 切る means "to cut," the compound has a completely different meaning.
Summary
- Over half of hand-action kanji contain the 扌 (てへん) radical — see 扌, think hands
- 取る (take), 握る (grip), and 持つ (hold) each have distinct nuances
- 拾う (pick up) and 捨てる (throw away) are an antonym pair
- 掛ける is a super-verb: make a call (電話を掛ける), spend time (時間を掛ける), hang something (壁に掛ける)
- Next up: Communication actions — learn kanji like 言う, 話す, 聞く