琴こと

noun

koto; Japanese zither

A traditional Japanese stringed instrument with 13 strings and movable bridges, played with picks on the fingers.

• 彼かの女じょは琴ことを習ならっています。

  She is learning to play the koto.

• お正しょう月がつに琴ことの音ね色いろを聞きいた。

  I heard the sound of the koto at New Year's.

noun

stringed instrument

Only with reading こと

Archaic general term for stringed instruments; now only encountered in historical contexts or old texts.

• 古ふるい文ぶん献けんでは、琴ことが弦げん楽がっ器き全ぜん般ぱんを指さすことがある。

  In old documents, 琴 can refer to stringed instruments in general.

noun

zheng; guzheng; Chinese zither

Only when written 箏 / 筝

A Chinese plucked zither with movable bridges, ancestor of the Japanese koto; usually read そう when referring to the Chinese instrument.

• 中ちゅう国ごくの筝そうは、日本にほんの箏そうよりも弦げんが多おおい。

  The Chinese zheng has more strings than the Japanese koto.