・Same shape.（⻖）
・Two names.
・Two meanings.

This is one of the hidden patterns that make kanji so rich — and so worth exploring.

こざとへん — the radical used on the left side of the kanji 陸（りく） — comes from the old kanji 阜（ふ）, which means a hill or mound. This radical is often found on the left and is used in characters related to terrain, elevation, or land — like slope, region, and station.

On the other hand, おおざと — the radical on the right side of 都（と） — comes from the kanji 邑（むら）, which originally meant a village or settlement. It’s typically placed on the right side and appears in kanji related to places, cities, or communities — like capital, prefecture, and neighborhood.

So even though こざとへん and おおざと look exactly the same… their roots, meanings, and positions are completely different. One began as a hill. The other as a village.

Quick Quiz:
Which of the following statements is true?

• 1. おおざとへん is used on the left side of kanji related to villages and regions.
• 2. The radical ⻖ always means “gathering place,” no matter where it appears.
• 3. こざとへん is used on the left side of kanji related to places, boundaries, or terrain.

✅ Correct answer: 3

❌ 1 is incorrect: おおざと appears only on the right side, so it’s not called “おおざとへん”.
❌ 2 is incorrect: The radical ⻖ changes meaning depending on position — left-side ⻖ is こざとへん, while right-side ⻖ is a different radical entirely — おおざと.
✅ 3 is correct: こざとへん is the proper term for ⻖ when it appears on the left, often in kanji related to locations, boundaries, and geographic features.