In some kanji, 偏 (hen) refers to the component (or “radical”) that’s on the left side of the character. The hen of 明 (bright) is 日 (sun), that of 語 (language) is 言 (say), and that of 技 (skill) is 扌, which is 手 (hand). As you can see in those examples, hen often show something like the “category” the kanji is in; 海 (sea, ocean), 河 (river), 泳 (swim), 汗 (sweat), 涙 (tear) all have 氵, which is 水 (water)—though kanji that don’t seem to be related to the hen, like 汝 (thou) or 法 (law) in this case, do exist. This can also mean “idea” or “concept.” ~~Wiki Fandom