Kanji Kickstart: Common Component Patterns (Left-Right, Top-Bottom, Enclosures)

Why layout patterns matter

Many kanji feel “complex” because your eyes try to process every stroke at once. Layout patterns let you compress what you see into a small number of chunks: left-right, top-bottom, enclosures, repetition, and multi-part stacks. Your goal is not to name every part immediately; your goal is to recognize the frame first, then place components into that frame.

Use the same walkthrough every time:

1. Identify the pattern (left-right? top-bottom? enclosure?).
2. Locate the radical (the component that typically anchors meaning and often sits in a predictable position for that pattern).
3. Read the remaining components in a consistent order (left→right, top→bottom, outside→inside).

Pattern 1: Left–Right (へん／つくり style)

This is the most common layout: one component on the left and one on the right. The left side is often a “side radical” (へん), and the right side is the remainder (つくり). Visually, you are looking for a clear vertical split.

Walkthrough

1. Pattern: Can you split it into two vertical blocks?
2. Radical location: Frequently on the left (but not always).
3. Read order: Left block → right block.

Examples (with light boundaries)

When practicing, lightly sketch a vertical divider:

休 = 亻 | 木  (left-right)  “person” + “tree”

明 = 日 | 月  (left-right)  “sun” + “moon”

語 = 言 | 吾  (left-right)  “speech” + remainder

Common mistake: treating the right side as “random strokes.” Instead, force yourself to label it as a single chunk (even if you don’t know its name yet).

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Micro-drill: 3-second split

• Look at a left-right kanji for 3 seconds.
• Close your eyes and say: “Left is ___, right is ___.”
• Open and confirm you didn’t accidentally steal strokes from one side to the other.

Pattern 2: Top–Bottom

Top-bottom kanji have a clear horizontal split. The top often acts like a “roof,” “crown,” or header component, with the rest underneath.

Walkthrough

1. Pattern: Can you split it into two horizontal blocks?
2. Radical location: Often on the top (but can be bottom).
3. Read order: Top block → bottom block.

Examples (with light boundaries)

家 = 宀 / 豕  (top-bottom)  “roof” + remainder

草 = 艹 / 早  (top-bottom)  “grass” + remainder

思 = 田 / 心  (top-bottom)  “field” + “heart”

Common mistake: writing the top too tall. In many top-bottom kanji, the top component compresses vertically to leave room for the bottom.

Pattern 3: Full outer enclosure (surrounding frame)

Some kanji have an outer component that wraps around the inside like a box or border. Your eyes should first detect the “frame,” then place the inner component(s) inside it.

Walkthrough

1. Pattern: Is there a component that forms an outer boundary?
2. Radical location: Often the outer component.
3. Read order: Outside → inside (then finish any closing stroke if the enclosure closes at the end).

Examples

国 = 囗(outer) + 玉(inner)  (enclosure)

園 = 囗(outer) + 袁(inner)  (enclosure)

Practice tip: Draw the enclosure lightly first as a proportional “container,” then fit the inside component. This prevents the inside from becoming cramped or off-center.

Pattern 4: Partial enclosure (one-sided wrap)

Partial enclosures wrap from one or more sides but do not fully box the inside. The key is to notice the “hugging” shape and keep the inside component clearly separate.

Common partial enclosure directions

• Left + top wrap (like a corner): the inside sits to the right/below.
• Left + bottom wrap: the inside sits above/right.
• Top wrap: a cap over the inside.
• Left wrap: a tall left component that “holds” the right.

Walkthrough

1. Pattern: Does one component wrap around another from 1–2 sides?
2. Radical location: Often the wrapping component.
3. Read order: Wrap component → inside component (then any final closing stroke if it ends the wrap).

Examples (conceptual boundaries)

病 = 疒 (wrap/cap) + 丙 (inside)  (partial enclosure)

近 = 辶 (wrap) + 斤 (inside)      (partial enclosure)

広 = 广 (wrap) + 厶 (inside)      (partial enclosure)

Common mistake: merging the inside into the wrap. When rewriting, leave a tiny “air gap” between wrap and inside so the structure stays readable.

Pattern 5: Repetition (same component appears twice or more)

Repetition reduces memory load: instead of learning many new shapes, you recognize a repeated unit. Your job is to spot the repeated component and its arrangement (left-right, top-bottom, or stacked).

Walkthrough

1. Pattern: Do you see the same shape repeated?
2. Radical location: Sometimes one of the repeated units functions as the radical; treat the repeated set as a single “family.”
3. Read order: Identify the repeated unit → count/locate copies → note any extra component.

Examples

林 = 木 + 木  (repetition, left-right)

森 = 木 + 木 + 木  (repetition, multi-part)

炎 = 火 + 火  (repetition, top-bottom)

Practice tip: When you rewrite, lightly sketch the repeated unit once, then copy it into the other slot(s) with the same proportions.

Pattern 6: Multi-part stacks (3+ components)

Many kanji are not just two chunks. They may be left-right with an internal top-bottom, or top-bottom with an internal left-right, or even three columns. Treat these as nested patterns: identify the outer pattern first, then the inner pattern(s).

Walkthrough (nested parsing)

1. Outer pattern: Is the whole kanji primarily left-right, top-bottom, or enclosure?
2. Radical location: Find the radical in its typical slot for that outer pattern.
3. Inner split: If one side (or top/bottom) still looks complex, split it again.
4. Read order: Follow the outer order first, then inner order within each block.

Examples (showing nesting)

語 = 言 | (吾)  where 吾 = 五 / 口  (left-right, with top-bottom inside right)

働 = 亻 | (動)  where 動 = 重 + 力  (left-right, with internal left-right)

箱 = ⺮ / (相)  where 相 = 木 | 目  (top-bottom, with left-right inside bottom)

Common mistake: trying to split into too many pieces immediately. Always do: outer split first, then one more split only if needed.

Consistent rewriting method: “light boundaries”

This is a practical way to train pattern recognition while improving handwriting and recall.

Step-by-step

1. Pick one kanji.
2. Decide the pattern. Write “LR”, “TB”, “ENC”, “P-ENC”, “REP”, or “NEST” above it in your notes (not on the kanji itself).
3. Lightly sketch boundaries:
   • Left-right: one vertical guideline.
   • Top-bottom: one horizontal guideline.
   • Enclosure: a faint outer box/corner shape.
   • Nested: do the outer boundary first, then a second boundary inside one block.
4. Place the radical in its slot (left/top/outer/wrap).
5. Fill remaining components in reading order (left→right, top→bottom, outside→inside).
6. Erase/ignore boundaries and rewrite once cleanly.

Practice Set A: Classify by pattern

For each kanji, write the pattern label (LR/TB/ENC/P-ENC/REP/NEST). Do not analyze meaning; focus only on layout.

Practice Set B: Rewrite with component boundaries

Rewrite each kanji twice: (1) with light boundaries, (2) clean. Keep strokes light on the first pass and focus on proportion.

• Left-right: 休、明、語
• Top-bottom: 思、草、家
• Enclosure: 国、園
• Partial enclosure: 病、近、広
• Repetition: 林、森、炎
• Nested stacks: 箱、働

Optional timing rule (to build automaticity)

Set a timer for 60 seconds per group. In that minute, your only goal is to correctly place boundaries and keep components in their slots. Speed comes from correct chunking, not from rushing strokes.