Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

月琴 (げっきん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

月げっ琴きん

げ

っ

き

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

yueqin; moon lute

A traditional Chinese four-stringed plucked lute with a round body, also used in Japanese music.

月げっ琴きんは明みん清しん楽がくで使つかわれる楽がっ器きの一ひとつだ。
The yueqin is one of the instruments used in Ming and Qing music.

Kanji

月month, moon
琴harp, koto

Similar words

三味線しゃみせん
A three-stringed Japanese lute with a square body, played with a plectrum, unlike the round-bodied, four-stringed yueqin.
琵び琶わ
A pear-shaped Japanese lute with four or five strings, played with a large plectrum; the yueqin has a round body and a brighter tone.

Etymology

From Chinese 月琴 (yuèqín), literally 'moon lute', referring to its round shape. The Japanese reading げっきん is the on'yomi of the characters.