Kanshudo Component Builder
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By default the Component Builder shows the most common Joyo kanji components (ie, components which are themselves Joyo kanji, or which are used in at least 3 other Joyo kanji). Select an alternative set of components below.



For details of all components and their English names, see the Component collections.
Kanshudo Component Builder Help
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For detailed instructions, see the Component builder how to guide.
To find any kanji, first try to identify the components it is made up of. Once you have identified any component, search for it in any of three ways:
  1. Draw it in the drawing area
  2. Type the name in the text area
  3. Look for it in the list
Example: look up 漢
  • Notice that 漢 is made of several components: 氵 艹 口 夫
  • Draw any of these components (one at a time) in the drawing area, and select it when you see it
  • Alternatively, look for a component in the list. 氵 艹 口 each have three strokes; 夫 has four strokes
  • If you know the meanings of the components, type any of them in the text area: water (氵), grass (艹), mouth (口) or husband (夫)
  • Keep adding components until you can see your kanji in the list of matches that appears near the top.
Kanshudo Component Builder Drawing Help
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The Kanshudo Component Builder can recognize any of the 416 components listed in the chart below the drawing area. Tips:
  • Draw a component in the center of the area, as large as you can
  • Try to draw the component as it appears in the kanji you're looking up
  • Don't worry about stroke order or number of strokes
  • Don't draw more than one component at a time
Not finding your component?
If you believe you've drawn your component correctly but the system is not recognizing it, please:
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Components

Point of interest: もしもし

もしもし - hello (on phone)
もしもし is the most common way of answering the phone. It may also used partway through a call, as in
もしもし、
き
聞
こえますか can you (still) hear me?
The origin of the expression is the humble form of
い
言
う (say). When speaking to someone senior, or in front of a large audience, it is still customary to use the extended form 〜
もう
申
し
あ
上
げます, which means something along the lines of 'I offer my words up'.
As a shortened form,
もう
申
す was used to get attention, which eventually became the form もしもし.
Although もしもし is common, it is not 'polite', so it is best used for more casual conversations. In a business setting, or to answer the phone to an unknown caller, it would be more customary just to say 'はい、(name) です'.
See also:

Kanji used in this point of interest

聞
ブン   モン   きく to listen, to hear   きこえる to be heard   
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1
言
ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   いう to say   
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2
申
シン   もうす to say   
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3
上
ジョウ   ショウ   うえ above   うわ- above   あげる to raise   あがる to rise   かみ first half, upper part   のぼる to climb   のぼせる to bring up, to raise   のぼす to bring up   
1
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