鍊
smelt metals, forge, refine
StatusJinmeiyō (variant)Strokes17
Readings
On'yomi
- レン
Kun'yomi
- ねる
Meaning
鍊 centers on applying heat and skill to metal: smelting raw ore, forging it into shape, and refining it to improve quality.
Study
Etymology
鍊 combines 金 (metal) with 柬, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest selecting or sorting, fitting the idea of refining metal.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is metal 金, and the right side 柬 looks like a bundle being sorted. Picture a smith sorting raw metal pieces and heating them in a forge to refine and shape them.
Reading mnemonic
For レン, imagine a metalworker named Len who refines ore in his forge: Len -> レン, and his work with 金 makes the metal pure.