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Kotomora

銀

silver

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 500Strokes14

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

Explore all words using 銀 →

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.