錦
brocade, fine dress, honors
Readings
On'yomi
- キン
Kun'yomi
- にしき
Nanori
- かね
- あや
- にし
Meaning
錦 centers on richly woven, decorative fabric: brocade. The ideas of fine dress and honors extend naturally from the image of luxurious, ornate cloth used for special garments and awards.
Most common words using 錦
20 of 40- 錦にしき
brocade
- 錦織にしきおり
brocade
- 錦鯉にしきごい
coloured carp; colored carp
- 錦蛇にしきへび
python; rock snake
- 錦木にしきぎ
winged spindle-tree (Euonymus alatus); burning bush; winged euonymus
- 錦絵にしきえ
nishiki-e; multi-colour woodblock print
- 内裸でも外錦うちはだかでもそとにしき
we must keep up appearances to go through the world
- 唐錦からにしき
Chinese brocade
- 堆錦ついきん
Ryūkyūan lacquerware technique (using a pigmented lacquer design pasted onto the lacquered surface)
- 故郷に錦を飾るこきょうににしきをかざる
to come home in triumph; to return to one's hometown in glory
- 故郷へ錦を飾るこきょうへにしきをかざる
to come home in triumph; to return to one's hometown in glory
- 毛織錦けおりにしき
woollen brocade
- 網目錦蛇あみめにしきへび
reticulated python (Python reticulatus)
- 綴れ錦つづれにしき
(hand-woven) brocade
- 綾錦あやにしき
twill damask and brocade
- 胡錦鳥こきんちょう
Gouldian finch (Chloebia gouldiae); rainbow finch
- 蜀江の錦しょっこうのにしき
type of red brocade originally from the ancient Chinese country of Shu and passed on in Japan
- 蜀錦しょっきん
type of brocade
- 錦の御旗にしきのみはた
Imperial standard
- 錦を飾るにしきをかざる
to return home loaded with honors; to return as a hero; to put on fine clothes
Study
Etymology
錦 combines 金 (metal, gold) with 帛 (silk cloth), suggesting gold-threaded or richly decorated silk fabric.
Meaning mnemonic
Gold 金 threads woven into silk cloth 帛 create a luxurious brocade. Picture a shimmering fabric used for fine dresses and ceremonial honors.
Reading mnemonic
For キン, imagine a king wearing a brocade robe: king -> キン, and the gold-threaded fabric suits royalty.