DE ROO CODES


AN OVERVIEW OF THE DE ROO SYSTEM

[This document contains the text found in the second edition of "2001 Kanji" edited by Joseph R. De Roo and published by Bonjinsha. It has been included here with Fr De Roo's permission. Not to be reproduced further without his permission.]

The system used in "2001 Kanji" is intended for the beginner who encounters
a kanji and wants to look it up, knowing neither its radical, pronunciation,
nor its exact number of strokes. The method consists of looking at the top
of the kanji, and then at its bottom, disregarding its other parts.

"2001 Kanji" provides drawings for all graphic elements. This information
cannot be reproduced here. However, an attempt was made to describe each
element as much as possible given the constraints of a computer text file,
and examples of characters possessing the element are always given.

Two-step visual method for locating a kanji:

1. Observe its EXTREME TOP or LEFT TOP.

There are only four possibilities: DOT (Ц), VERTICAL LINE (¡Ã), DIAGONAL
LINE (¥Î), HORIZONTAL LINE (°ì). Each of these four strokes can occur either
in isolation or in connection with one or more strokes. Each of the four
groups of graphic elements correspond to the four basic strokes in their
immediate environment. Each element has a number wich will become the first
half of the kanji number.

DOT (Ц):
        3   DOT                    (Ц)     ÇÈ Îä ±Ê ¿´ ɬ ³Ú ¿Þ
        4   ROOF                   (е)     µþ
        5   DOTTED CLIFF           (Öø)     Ä£ ¼À
        6   ALTAR               ¡¡  ¡¡      Îé Èï Ç·
        7   KANA U                 (Õß)     °Â
        8   LID                 ¡¡  ¡¡      Çò ÎÉ ¿ã ½® ¼« ¿È µ´ Åç ¸þ ½°
        9   HORNS               ¡¡  ¡¡      °Ù Äï Á° ³Ø ¸· µó Áã

VERTICAL LINE (¡Ã):
        10  SMALL ON BOX        ¡¡  ¡¡      ¶È ·ô ÊÆ È¾ ¾° ÊÀ ¸÷ Åö ¾Ó
        11  SMALL                  (¾®)     ¾® ¿å ɹ À­ ϧ
        12  VERTICAL LINE          (¡Ã)     »Ý ÅÀ »ß ¸© ¿Í µ¢ ¸â Ò¸ ¼ý ÊÒ Ãû
                                    ¡¡      Èó ÅÍ Àî ½£ »³
        13  HAND TO THE LEFT    ¡¡  ¡¡      »ý
        14  CROSS                  (½½)     ¸ ¼Ô ¼° Âç É× ÁÕ À£ µá ±¦ Ë® ¼·
                                    ¡¡      ÅÚ ÆÇ Íè ºÊ ÆÖ
        15  CROSS ON BOX           (¸Å)     ¿¿ Æî ¼Ö ·Ã Åì Ä« « »É ¸Å »ö
        16  KANA KA                (¥«)     ´Ý ½ñ °ã Æâ Éý Èé Ãæ ¿½ ±û Äá
        17  WOMAN                  (½÷)     °ù
        18  TREE                   (ÌÚ)     ËÜ
        19  LETTER H               (×°)     Çü ³× °æ ´Å ÂÓ À¤ ʦ ¶ ¶Ê Áâ

DIAGONAL LINE (¥Î):
        20  KANA NO                (¥Î)     ¼õ º© ¹Ô ˳ ë Ȭ Éã
        21  MAN TO THE LEFT        (¥¤)     »ø
        22  THOUSAND               (Àé)     ×Û ·Ï ¼á Íø ¾£ ²æ ¼ê Àé ÌÓ ¿â ¾è
                                    ¡¡      ½Å
        23  MAN TO THE TOP      ¡¡  ¡¡      ̵ ´¿ ¸á Ìð ÃÝ ²· Ëè ¸ð
        24  COW                    (µí)     ¾Ç µí ¼º ¼ë ¹ð À¸ Àè À©
        25  KANA KU                (¥¯)     ³° Á³ Ôé µ× ³Ñ Ò±
        26  HILL TOP         ¡¡     ¡¡      »á Äþ ·Þ α Íñ ÀÍ ¹¡ ½â °õ ÃÊ
        27  LEFT ARROW             (¡ã)     Âæ Öß »å ÍÄ ¶¿
        28  ROOF                   (¢Ê)     ¶â ¿© ÁÒ ²ñ ²ð
        29  X                      (¡ß)     ÈÈ ´¢ ´õ »¦

HORIZONTAL LINE (°ì):
        30  HORIZONTAL LINE        (°ì)     ¸À Éû Ʀ ¸Í Æõ Îï ¼¨ ¸µ ±¾
        31  FOURTH                 (Ãú)     Îó »ê ±« Ãà ÉÔ Ëü Å· ¹¹ ²Ä ²¼ ¸ß
                                    ¡¡      ¸Þ Ê¿ ¹© ²¦
        32  BALD                   (Ѻ)     ²ç »à À¾ Í× ÆÓ ·Á ¼ª °¡ ¼¥
        33  CLIFF                  (ÒÌ)     ÀРä Îå ¸¶ È¿
        34  TOP-LEFT CORNER         ¡¡      ¿Ã ÇÏ Ä¹ °å
        35  TOP-RIGHT CORNER        ¡¡      Æþ ȯ ͽ Ëô Åá λ ×® ²µ Èô µÝ ¿Ò
                                    ¡¡      ·¯ ÁÂ
        36  UPSIDE-DOWN CAN        (ÑÄ)     Ʊ ÑÜ »Í »® ÅÄ ¹ü ð Êì ÆÌ ±ú
        37  MOUTH                  (¸ý)     Õù ¼Ü À× Â­ ̱
        38  SUN                    (Æü)     ¨ º± Ìç
        39  EYE TOP                 ¡¡      ·î ÌÜ ³î ³­ ¸«

2. Observe its EXTREME BOTTOM or RIGHT BOTTOM.

There are nine possibilities: DOT (Ц), LEFT HOOK (Э), VERTICAL LINE (¡Ã),
RIGHT HOOK, DIAGONAL LINE (¥Î), BACK DIAGONAL LINE (¡³), BOTTOM OF HEAD É¥,
BOTTOM OF WATAKUSHI ÒÓ, HORIZONTAL LINE (°ì). They are listed in association
with one or more strokes. The number of the bottom element will become the
second half of the kanji number.

DOT (Ц):
        40  FOUR DOTS               ¡¡      ̵ ×Û ±÷ Åß ½Â ´¨ ¿Ô
        41  SMALL                  (¾®)     µþ ¾® ¸¶ ¼¨ ; ÀÖ »å ¸©
        42  WATER                  (¿å)     µá ±Ê ɹ ¿å

LEFT HOOK (Э):
        43  KANA RI                (¥ê)     Íø
        44  SEAL                   (ÒÇ)     ʦ Ĥ Äï ÒÇ »Ô Éô
        45  SWORD BOTTOM           (Åá)     ±ß ³Ñ ǵ ÎÏ Ëü Åá ¿Ï
        46  MOON                   (·î)     ÌÀ Í­
        47  DOTLESS INCH            ¡¡      ºÆ ºý Õú в Í· Í¿ Êì Ëè ð »Ò ¾µ
                                    ¡¡      ¼ê ¿È ºÍ ²ç
        48  INCH                   (À£)     ½®
        49  MOUTH LEFT HOOK     ¡¡  ¡¡      ¼þ ²Ä »Ê ¶É
        50  BIRD BOTTOM         ¡¡  ¡¡      Ä»
        51  ANIMAL                 (ÌÞ)     ìµ Êª
        52  BOW BOTTOM          ¡¡  ¡¡      µà µÝ Åç Ò±
        53  LEFT HOOK              (Э)     ±© Ìç Ãú λ ÍÑ ºý ÑÄ ±©

VERTICAL LINE (¡Ã):
        54  VERTICAL LINE          (¡Ã)     ÉÔ ËÎ Æã Èó ÊÒ ¶Ô Àî ʹ
        55  CROSS                  (½½)     ¶« Á¤ ÅÍ ´³ ÍÓ ËÜ ¿½ Áá ¼Ö ÀÍ Ãæ
                                    ¡¡      ³× ¼ª ×° °æ

RIGHT HOOK:
        56  RIGHT HOOK              ¡¡      ¸Ê Ìé Ýã ²µ ´¤ ÑÜ »á ×µ ε Ò¸
        57  LEGS                   (ѹ)     Õ÷ µ´ Ѻ ȯ Ãû ´Ý ¹Ó
        58  HEART                  (¿´)     Ç°
        59  TASSELED SPEAR BOTTOM   ¡¡      Øù ɬ

DIAGONAL LINE (¥Î):
        60  KANA NO                (¥Î)     ×Ä ¾¯ º£ ͼ Õù À¼ Õú µÕ

BACK DIAGONAL LINE (¡³):
        61  SMALL PODIUM            ¡¡      Âþ ³­ ¸² ¶¦ Ï»
        62  BACK KANA NO           (¡³)     °ç °Ê ¼Ü µ× Æþ ²Ð ±» ¿Í Öß
        63  BIG                    (Âç)     Ìð ÂÀ Å· ¾Ð É× ¼Â ·ð Íè ·è ±û
        64  TREE                   (ÌÚ)     Ûù « Åì ¼ë Íè ¾è Ãã ̤ ²Ó ·ó ½Ò
                                    ¡¡      ÊÆ
        65  SMALL SPOON             ¡¡      °á ´Ä º± ι Ĺ ä ÇÉ ½°
        66  GOVERN                 (Щ)     ¿Þ Éã ¾æ ʸ Ú¾ Íù ¹¹
        67  AGAIN                  (Ëô)     Ìë Ôé µÚ Ôé ×®
        68  WINDY AGAIN            (ÝÕ)     Ìò
        69  WOMAN                  (½÷)     °Â

HEAD BOTTOM:
        70  HEAD BOTTOM             ¡¡      É¥ Äê ­ Áö Ç·

WATAKUSHI BOTTOM:
        71  WATAKUSHI BOTTOM        ¡¡      Ãî Öö ÒÓ

HORIZONTAL LINE (°ì):
        72  HORIZONTAL LINE        (°ì)     ¹© ÅÚ ²¦ ¾å À¸ Τ ¿â ¶Ì ¶â ¶Ë ¸ß
        73  STANDING BOTTOM         ¡¡      °¡ »ß ³î ¸Þ µÖ Ω Ʀ
        74  DISH BOTTOM             ¡¡      ÊÂ »®
        75  BOTTOM CORNER           ¡¡      ÆÌ ±ú µÔ Åö ľ Ñá Ò¹ ð² À¾ ÆÓ Ë´
                                    ¡¡      À¤
        76  MOUNTAIN               (»³)     Àç ½Ð ÍÉ ´Ì ÅÄ Í³ ²Á Í© ¶Ê ÌÌ
        77  MOUTH                  (¸ý)     Àê ¸Å Àå Ϥ ´±
        78  SUN                    (Æü)     Çò É´ ´Å
        79  EYE                    (ÌÜ)     ¼ó ½â ¼«

The number of the kanji you are looking for consists of the top number
coming first and the bottom number coming second, the two numbers being
placed side by side. E.g., ´Á 363 (3 63), »ú 747 (7 47).

There are two rules always to keep in mind:

a. Ignore the complete enclosure Óø and the "road" radical (as in Æ»). Look
at the top and bottom (in some cases only the bottom) of what is inside the
complete enclosure, and of what is to the upper right of "road". E.g.,
¼ü 1262, ¸Ä 2177, Æ» 979, Ë¥ 2755.

b. When a part is enclosed by the "gate" radical, take the bottom or right
bottom of that part. E.g., Æ® 3848, Íó 1864.