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Kotomora

練

practice, gloss, train, drill, polish, refine

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes14

Readings

On'yomi

  • レン

Kun'yomi

  • ね.る
  • ね.り

Nanori

  • ねり

Meaning

練 centers on repeated effort to improve: practicing a skill, training, drilling, or refining something until it becomes polished.

Most common words using 練

20 of 150
  • 練習れんしゅう
    N5

    practice; training; drill; (an) exercise; workout

  • 訓練くんれん
    N3

    training; drill; practice; discipline

  • 練るねる
    N1

    to knead; to thicken into a paste (stirring over a flame)

  • 試練しれん

    test; trial; ordeal; tribulation

  • 洗練せんれん
    N2

    refinement; polish

  • 熟練じゅくれん

    skill; expertise; experience; proficiency; mastery; dexterity

  • 未練みれん
    N1

    lingering attachment; lingering affection; regret; reluctance; ruefulness

  • 修練しゅうれん

    training; drill; practice; practising; discipline

  • 練りねり

    kneading; gloss; tempering

  • 練乳れんにゅう

    condensed milk

  • 朝練あされん

    morning training (e.g. before school)

  • 練り歩くねりあるく

    to parade; to march; to walk in procession

  • 練炭れんたん

    briquette (charcoal or coal)

  • 練り物ねりもの

    paste products (incl. sweets, fish paste, etc.)

  • 手練しゅれん

    skill; dexterity; master hand

  • 手練てれん

    means of deceiving another

  • 教練きょうれん

    drill

  • 老練ろうれん

    experienced; veteran; skilled; expert

  • 熟練工じゅくれんこう

    skilled worker; skilled labour

  • 練磨れんま

    training; practice; drilling; cultivation; improvement

Explore all words using 練 →

Study

Etymology

練 combines 糸 (thread) with 柬, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of selecting or sorting. The original sense may relate to refining raw silk by repeated processing, which extended to practice and training.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side is thread 糸, and the right side 柬 looks like a bundle being sorted. Picture repeatedly working raw silk threads until they become smooth and polished—that is practice and refinement.

Reading mnemonic

For レン, imagine a long training session where you practice writing the kana れん over and over: れん -> レン, and the repetition polishes your skill.