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The Kanji Map

Kanji

Jōyō kanji, Taught in junior high

JLPT level: N1

1773 of 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Stroke count: 8

Meaning: bowstring, chord, hypotenuse

Kunyomi: つる

Onyomi: ゲン

Composition: 弓 玄

弦

Radical

Radical: 弓

Meaning: bow

Reading: ゆみ

Frequency: 165

Alternative forms:

(alt radical position hen)

弓

Examples

Onyomi Examples

弦 (ゲン) bowstring, string (of a shamisen, etc.), stringed instrument, chord, hypotenuse

弦楽 (ゲンガク) music for strings, string music

三弦 (サンゲン) shamisen, samisen, sanxian (Chinese lute), the three string instruments used in gagaku (biwa, wagon and sou), three strings, three-stringed instrument

移弦 (イゲン) string-crossing (violin, cello, etc.)

Kunyomi Examples

弦 (つる) bowstring, string (of shamisen, guitar, violin, etc.), bail (arched pot handle), diagonal levelling wire across the top of a masu

弦音 (つるおと) sound of vibrating bowstring

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