菜

Meaning

Vegetable, greens · verdura, hortaliza

Readings

• On (音読み): サイ
• Kun (訓読み): な

Example words

• 野菜（やさい）— vegetables
• 白菜（はくさい）— Chinese cabbage
• 菜の花（なのはな）— rapeseed blossoms

Structure

Radical 艸 written as 艹 here (くさかんむり · Grass, plant) · 11 strokes · school grade 4

Watch out

Plants (艹) over a hand (爫) picking from a tree (木). The everyday word is 野菜; 菜 alone (な) only survives in names of leafy greens: 小松菜, 菜の花. Compare 采 in 彩 (color).