錬
tempering, refine, drill, train, polish
Readings
On'yomi
- レン
Kun'yomi
- ね.る
Meaning
錬 centers on the process of improving something through repeated effort: tempering metal, refining skills, drilling, training, or polishing. The given meanings all share the idea of making something stronger or better by working on it.
Most common words using 錬
- 錬金術れんきんじゅつ
alchemy
- 鍛錬たんれん
tempering (metal); annealing; forging
- 錬成れんせい
training; drilling; strengthening
- 精錬せいれん
refining; refinement; smelting
- 百戦錬磨ひゃくせんれんま
veteran; battle-worn; schooled by adversity in many battles; hard-bitten; rich in experience; very experienced
- 錬金術師れんきんじゅつし
alchemist
- 乾式製錬かんしきせいれん
fire refining
- 百錬ひゃくれん
well-tempered; well drilled; well trained
- 精錬所せいれんしょ
refinery; smelting works
- 自己鍛錬じこたんれん
self-discipline; self-improvement
- 自熔製錬じようせいれん
flash smelting; autogenous smelting
- 鋼の錬金術師はがねのれんきんじゅつし
Fullmetal Alchemist (manga by Hiromu Arakawa; media franchise)
- 錬るねる
to temper (steel)
- 錬鉄れんてつ
wrought iron
- 錬鋼れんこう
wrought steel
Study
Etymology
錬 combines 金 (metal) with 東, which likely contributes the sound レン and may suggest the idea of working or refining metal. The exact historical role of 東 in this character is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
Metal 金 on the left and 東 on the right: picture a blacksmith repeatedly heating and hammering metal to temper and refine it, like drilling and polishing until it is perfectly trained.
Reading mnemonic
For レン, imagine a metalworker using a wrench to refine a piece of metal: wrench -> レン, and the wrench helps temper and polish the metal.