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三味線 (しゃみせん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Meanings 1
noun
shamisen ; three-stringed Japanese lute
A traditional Japanese three-stringed plucked instrument with a long neck and a square body, played with a large plectrum called a bachi. The reading さみせん is an older variant, now rare.
気き
を
盛も
り
上あ
げる
。
The sound of the shamisen enlivens the festival atmosphere.
Similar words 琴こと A koto is a long zither with 13 strings, played with picks on the fingers, while a shamisen has three strings and is played with a plectrum.
琵び 琶わ A biwa is a short-necked lute with a pear-shaped body, often used in narrative music, whereas the shamisen has a longer neck and a square body.
Etymology The shamisen was introduced to Japan from China via the Ryukyu Islands in the 16th century, evolving from the Chinese sanxian. The kanji 三味線 literally mean 'three-flavor strings', an ateji assignment.
