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Kotomora

弦

bowstring, chord, hypotenuse

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • ゲン

Kun'yomi

  • つる

Meaning

弦 centers on a taut line under tension: a bowstring, a musical chord, or the hypotenuse of a right triangle, all sharing the idea of a straight, stretched connection.

Most common words using 弦

20 of 51
  • 弦つる

    bowstring

  • 弦げん

    bowstring

  • 管弦楽かんげんがく

    orchestral music

  • 弦楽げんがく

    music for strings; string music

  • 弦楽器げんがっき

    string instrument; stringed instrument

  • 弦巻つるまき

    reel for a spare bowstring

  • 正弦せいげん

    sine

  • 上弦じょうげん

    first quarter moon; waxing half-moon

  • 下弦かげん

    last quarter moon; third quarter moon; waning half-moon

  • 弓弦ゆみづる

    bowstring

  • 管弦かんげん

    wind and string instruments; music

  • 管弦楽団かんげんがくだん

    orchestra

  • 三弦さんげん

    shamisen; samisen

  • ギター弦ギターげん

    guitar string

  • 一弦琴いちげんきん

    single-stringed Japanese zither

  • 七弦琴しちげんきん

    qin (7-stringed Chinese zither); guqin; seven-stringed koto

  • 上弦の月じょうげんのつき

    first quarter moon; waxing half-moon

  • 下弦の月かげんのつき

    last quarter moon; third quarter moon; waning half-moon

  • 二弦琴にげんきん

    two-stringed koto

  • 五弦ごげん

    five strings; five-stringed instrument

Explore all words using 弦 →

Study

Etymology

弦 combines 弓 (bow) with 玄, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a dark, fine thread, together suggesting the taut string of a bow.

Meaning mnemonic

A bow 弓 with a dark, fine thread 玄 stretched across it: that's the bowstring. The same stretched line appears in a musical chord or the hypotenuse of a triangle.

Reading mnemonic

For ゲン, imagine a genie stretching a bowstring: genie -> ゲン, and the genie's bowstring is pulled tight.