Quick Kanji Lookup

SKIP Lookup


SKIP rules

A SKIP code is a sequence of 3 numbers, separated by hyphens, which describes a set of kanji. By finding the SKIP code of a kanji and combining that with knowledge of its radical, it is possible to find the kanji extremely quickly even without knowledge of its readings or meaning.

Identifying the SKIP code of a kanji

  1. Identify the pattern type of the kanji

    The first number in a SKIP code, which is always between 1 and 4, represents how the kanji is divided. The numbers carry the following meanings:

    1 : Left and Right Parts
    The kanji can be viewed as being composed of a left part and a right part, with vertical whitespace separating the two parts.
    2 : Top and Bottom Parts
    The kanji can be viewed as being composed of a top part and a bottom part, with either horizontal whitespace separating the two parts, or a clear horizontal line separating the two parts.
    3 : Enclosure
    The kanji can be viewed as being composed of an enclosing part and an internal part, where the enclosing part surrounds the internal part on two or more sides, with whitespace between the enclosing part and the internal part.
    4 : Solid
    The kanji cannot be divided into one of the above patterns.
  2. Count the strokes in the kanji

    You need to be familiar with counting strokes in kanji to use the SKIP method of lookup. There are plenty of guides on the web (I'll write something here about it eventually).

    For pattern types 1, 2, and 3, the remaining two numbers of the SKIP code are the stroke counts of the first and second parts (in the order left-right / top-bottom / enclosing-internal).

    For pattern type 4, the middle number of the SKIP code is the stroke count of the entire kanji. The final number is a subpattern identifier, again between 1 and 4, as defined below. If more than one matches, pick the earlier one.

    1 : Top Line
    A horizontal, or almost horizontal, stroke or stroke segment extending across the very top of a solid character.
    2 : Bottom Line
    A horizontal, or almost horizontal, stroke or stroke segment extending across the very bottom of a solid character.
    3 : Through Line
    A perfectly vertical stroke or stroke segment intersecting another stroke of a solid character and extending over its entire, or almost its entire, length.
    4 : Other
    The kanji does not fit any of the above subpatterns.

Purpose

This page is designed to enable fast SKIP-based kanji lookup, suitable for use on portable devices.