字の旅3,000 years in four forms
Oracle bone · ShangShang · c. 1200 BCE
Oracle bone and small seal: Wikimedia Commons, traced from Academia Sinica, CC0. Bronze: Academia Sinica 小學堂, CC0. Today’s form: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0.
部首Radical · in Action & Movement
工 work, carpenter, skill
たくみ takumi
3 strokesRadical of 4 kanjiPart of 13
Origin · sourced
Pictogram象形
A bladed tool to plow the ground and to mark a border. As an alternative, a carpenter's square; according to the second interpretation, the character is related to the original meaning of 巨.
Source: Wiktionary, 工 (rev. 92678585), CC BY-SA 4.0
Memory story · made up to help you remember
“Master your craft! Imagine a skilled builder using a carpenter's square to ensure every corner of a new home is perfect. This radical represents the essence of manual labor, engineering, and the "skill" of the craftsman. When you see it, think of construction, industry, and the dedicated effort of someone who works with their hands and mind.”
Where it sits in a kanji
Indicates work, labor, construction, engineering, craftsmanship, industry, or the concept of creating something through skilled manual effort.
What it grows into
- 左leftサ · ひだり
𠂇sound + 工
Originally written 𠂇 and 䶹 in the oracle bone script: Pictogram (象形) – a left hand.
Phono-semantic compound · Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Every kanji with 工 as its radical
All 4 kanji