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剣

sabre
Stroke count: 10

Readings

On readingケン
Kun readingつるぎ
JLPT level: N1JōyōGrade 8

Meanings

  1. sabre
  2. blade
    彼は物事を真剣に考え過ぎる傾向にある。He tends to consider things too much earnestly.tatoeba
    彼は仕事をゆっくりする。それは彼が物事を真剣にやるからだ。He works slowly, because he takes things seriously.tatoeba
  3. clock hand
    彼は剣で殺された。He was killed with a sword.tatoeba
  4. sword
  5. saberRtK
  1. sword (esp. a large, double-edged one)
  2. bayonet
  3. swordsmanship
  4. stinger

Popular Usage

真剣

Radicals and components

Radical刀knife刂variant
Components
How it's built
剣
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Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

sabre (刀) · awl · fit · meeting · umbrella · mouth (口) · person (人) · sword (刀) · sabre (刀)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 1801

Compound words

真剣しんけん
serious; earnest; real sword (as opposed to a wooden practice weapon)
剣劇けんげき
sword play; samurai drama
剣士けんし
swordsman; swordswoman; fencer
剣道けんどう
kendo; Japanese martial art using bamboo swords
刀剣とうけん
sword; dagger; knife; bayonet
剣客けんかく
master swordsman
剣橋ケンブリッジ
Cambridge
剣玉けんだま
kendama
剣形けんがた
sword shape
剣戟けんげき
weapons
剣豪けんごう
great swordsman
剣山けんざん
needle-point holder (in ikebana)
剣璽けんじ
sacred sword and jewels (imperial regalia)
剣鉈けんなた
sturdy broad-bladed knife, used in woodcraft and hunting (tapered, unlike a regular nata)
短剣たんけん
dagger, short sword
抜剣ばっけん
drawing a sword
名剣めいけん
famous sword
木剣ぼっけん
wooden sword (bokken)
佩剣はいけん
wearing a sword
牛蒡剣ゴボウけん
bayonet
手裏剣しゅりけん
shuriken
草薙剣くさなぎのつるぎ
Kusanagi no Tsurugi (alternate name for Ama-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi; the sword of the Imperial regalia)
剣を抜くつるぎをぬく
to draw a sword
諸刃の剣もろはのつるぎ
double-edged sword

Additional Examples

彼は非常な剣幕で私をにらみ付けた。
He glared at me fiercely.tatoeba

Stroke Order

10 strokes

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 剣

Draw with a guide, then from memory — checked at every step