noun
kokyū; Japanese bowed lute
A traditional Japanese bowed string instrument with three or four strings, distinct from the shamisen or koto.
胡弓は三味線に似ているが、弓で弾く楽器だ。
The kokyū resembles the shamisen but is played with a bow.
彼女は胡弓の演奏を習っている。
She is learning to play the kokyū.
noun
Asian bowed string instrument
Broadly refers to any Asian string instrument played with a bow, such as the Chinese erhu or the Mongolian morin khuur. In modern Japanese, 胡弓 usually refers specifically to the Japanese instrument (sense 1).
胡弓という言葉は、かつてアジアの様々な擦弦楽器を指した。
The word kokyū once referred to various Asian bowed string instruments.
The kanji 胡 (foreign/barbarian) and 弓 (bow) suggest a foreign bowed instrument. The exact origin is uncertain, but the instrument likely developed in Japan influenced by Chinese bowed instruments.