弦 — “Bowstring / Chord / Hypotenuse” in Japanese

Master (高手)げん, つる

Radical ⼸ · radical 57 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Bowstring / Chord / Hypotenuse” in Japanese is 弦, read gen, tsuru (げん, つる). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 弦楽器 (string instrument).

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What does 弦 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	弦
Meaning	Bowstring / Chord / Hypotenuse
Readings	げん, つる
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	弦楽器 (string instrument)

How to read 弦

弦 is read gen (げん) or tsuru (つる) depending on the word.

Words with 弦

弦楽器

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Kanji read the same way as 弦

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28