銀
silver
Readings
On'yomi
- ギン
Kun'yomi
- しろがね
Nanori
- うん
- かな
- かね
Meaning
銀 centers on the precious metal silver, both as a material and as a color or monetary concept.
Most common words using 銀
20 of 412- 銀行ぎんこうN5
bank; banking institution
- 銀ぎんN3
silver (Ag)
- 銀座ぎんざN5
Ginza (district in Tokyo)
- 銀河ぎんがN1
Milky Way
- 日銀にちぎん
Bank of Japan; BOJ
- 水銀すいぎん
mercury (Hg)
- 銀色ぎんいろ
silver (color, colour)
- 金銀きんぎん
gold and silver
- 銀貨ぎんか
silver coin
- 銀河系ぎんがけい
Milky Way galaxy; Milky Way; the Galaxy
- 銀メダルぎんメダル
silver medal
- 銀杏いちょう
ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba); gingko; maidenhair tree
- 銀杏ぎんなん
ginkgo nut; gingko nut
- 日本銀行にっぽんぎんこう
Bank of Japan; BOJ
- 白銀はくぎん
silver
- 三井住友銀行みついすみともぎんこう
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
- 銀髪ぎんぱつ
silver hair; gray hair; grey hair
- 世界銀行せかいぎんこう
World Bank
- 地銀ちぎん
regional bank
- 銀山ぎんざん
silver mine
Study
Etymology
銀 combines 金 (metal) with 艮, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to a whitish or boundary-like quality, though the exact origin of 艮 in this context is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is 金 (metal), and the right side 艮 looks like a shiny ingot. Picture a gleaming silver ingot made of precious metal.
Reading mnemonic
For ギン, imagine a silver coin spinning and landing with a clear 'gin!' sound: gin -> ギン, like the ring of real silver.