The kanji 剣 primarily means "sword" or "blade." It refers to a weapon with a long metal blade used for cutting or thrusting. This character encapsulates the concept of a sharp, pointed weapon used for combat.

・On-yomi (音読み): ケン (ken) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つるぎ (tsurugi)

⚫︎ 日本刀（にほんとう） Translation: Japanese sword ⚫︎ 剣道（けんどう） Translation: Kendo (Japanese fencing) ⚫︎ 剣術（けんじゅつ） Translation: Swordsmanship

The kanji 剣 is a pictographic compound. It combines two parts. The upper part is a simplified representation of a blade and the lower part is a 刂, which is a radical often found in kanji related to knives or cutting. Together, they form the image and concept of a "sword."