絹
silk
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
Kun'yomi
- きぬ
Meaning
絹 centers on silk as a material: the fine, lustrous fiber produced by silkworms and the fabric woven from it.
Most common words using 絹
20 of 56- 絹きぬN4
silk
- 絹糸きぬいと
silk thread; silk yarn
- 正絹しょうけん
pure silk
- 絹ごしきぬごし
filtering through silk cloth; straining through silk cloth
- 絹織物きぬおりもの
silk goods
- 生絹すずし
raw silk products
- 絹布けんぷ
silk; silk cloth
- ビスコース人絹ビスコースじんけん
viscose rayon
- 人絹じんけん
rayon; artificial silk
- 人造絹糸じんぞうけんし
rayon
- 八丈絹はちじょうぎぬ
plain-woven silk cloth produced on Hachijo Island (dyed with botanical pigments found on the island)
- 垂れ絹たれぎぬ
hanging silk; curtain; tapestry; veil
- 富士絹ふじぎぬ
Fuji silk
- 平絹ひらぎぬ
plain silk
- 本絹ほんけん
pure silk
- 生絹きぎぬ
raw silk (fabric)
- 白絹しらぎぬ
white silk
- 篩絹ふるいぎぬ
bolting cloth
- 純絹じゅんけん
pure silk
- 素絹そけん
coarse silk
Study
Etymology
絹 combines 糸 (thread) with 肙, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to a small worm or insect, fitting the silkworm origin of silk.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is thread 糸, and the right side 肙 looks like a little worm with a mouth 口 and body 月. Picture a silkworm spinning fine thread to make silk.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, imagine a silkworm named Ken spinning silk: Ken -> ケン, and his thread becomes the finest silk.