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謙

self-effacing
Stroke count: 17

Readings

On readingケン
Kun readingへりくだ.る
JLPT level: N1JōyōGrade 8

Meanings

  1. self-effacingRtK
    彼は年をとるにつれて、一層謙虚になった。The older he grew, the more modest he became.tatoeba
    彼は、社会的地位が上がるにつれて、ますます謙虚になった。The higher he rose in social rank, the more modest he became.tatoeba
  2. be modest
  3. condescend
  4. humble oneself
  1. modest
  2. humble

Popular Usage

謙虚謙遜

Radicals and components

Radical言speech訁variant
Components
How it's built
謙
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Mnemonic (RtK)

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say (言) · words (言) · keitai · mouth (口) · concurrently · animal horns · rake

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 1726

Compound words

謙虚けんきょ
modest; humble
謙遜けんそん
modesty; humility; being humble
恭謙きょうけん
modesty
謙るへりくだる
to deprecate oneself and praise the listener
謙称けんしょう
self-deprecating term
謙譲けんじょう
modesty
謙抑けんよく
humbling oneself
謙そんけんそん
modesty
謙譲語けんじょうご
humble language (e.g. itadaku)
謙遜語けんそんご
humble language
謙譲の美徳けんじょうのびとく
modest virtue

Additional Examples

彼の謙遜さは賞賛に値する。
His modesty is worth respecting.tatoeba
彼の甥は謙虚で思いやりのある人になるように育てられた。
His nephew was brought up to be modest and considerate.tatoeba

Stroke Order

17 strokes

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 謙

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