琴（こと、koto）
- koto

The Japanese word 琴, read as こと, primarily refers to a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, often called a koto in English. It's a long, zither-like instrument with 13 strings stretched over a wooden soundboard. The strings are plucked with picks worn on the fingers. The 琴 produces a delicate and resonant sound. The word 琴 can also occasionally be used more broadly to refer to music played on the 琴 or in a metaphorical sense, though the instrument itself is the most common meaning.

⚫︎私は琴を演奏します。 Translation: I play the koto. ⚫︎彼女の演奏する琴の音色は美しい。 Translation: The sound of the koto she plays is beautiful. ⚫︎伝統的な日本の楽器は、琴です。 Translation: A traditional Japanese instrument is the koto.

This word is commonly used to describe the instrument, the music produced by the instrument, or the act of playing the instrument. You can use it in conversations about music, traditional Japanese culture, or personal hobbies. When you want to specify the instrument, it's best to use 琴.

The word 琴 is typically written using the kanji 琴. The hiragana reading is こと. There are no significant variations in okurigana. It is very rare to see it written in katakana.

There aren't many direct synonyms for 琴 in the sense of the instrument itself. Related terms might include: ⚫︎ 楽器（gakki): instrument ⚫︎ 和楽器（wagakki): Japanese musical instrument ⚫︎ 箏（koto): This is another way to refer to 琴 and is sometimes used, but it's less common than simply saying 琴.

There aren't specific antonyms for 琴, as it is a specific noun. However, if you are discussing different types of musical instruments, other instrument names would be antonyms.

彼女は子供の頃から琴を習っています。 ・Translation: She has been learning the koto since she was a child. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone's long-term study of playing the koto.

琴の演奏会に行きました。 ・Translation: I went to a koto concert. ・Explanation: This sentence describes attending a concert featuring music played on the koto.

The kanji 琴 originated in China, where it referred to a general category of stringed instruments. The Japanese word was adopted from Chinese and eventually came to specifically represent the Japanese koto. The meaning and usage have remained relatively consistent across the ages.