Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 琴

琴

Level:N1 Mid
Strokes:12
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji 琴 primarily signifies a stringed musical instrument, specifically a type of zither or harp. It represents the instrument itself, its sound, and, by extension, music and artistic expression.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): キン (kin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): こと (koto)

Usage Examples

⚫︎古琴 Translation: Ancient zither; refers to a specific type of Chinese zither. ⚫︎琴線に触れる Translation: To touch a person's heartstrings; to deeply move someone. ⚫︎ピアノと琴 Translation: Piano and koto (Japanese zither).

Correspondence with Your Native Language

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Origin and Formation

The kanji 琴 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is the radical 王(おう), meaning "jade" or "precious." The right side 𠬶(今) indicates the sound. The original meaning of 王 relates to the precious material with which the instrument was initially made, and 今 represents the sound of the instrument. The character thus combines the idea of a precious instrument with its sound.

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