Dictionary › 琴

琴

qín

HSK 4 Character

What 琴 means

1. guqin {古琴|gǔ qín} (a type of zither)
2. musical instrument in general

Other readings

琴 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• qínvariant of {琴|qín}, guqin or zither

Example sentences

• 我弹钢琴。
  I play the piano.
• 俺不弹钢琴。
  ǎn bù tán gāngqín.
  I don't play the piano.
• 我会弹钢琴。
  I can play piano.
• 我拉小提琴。
  I play the violin.
• 玛丽弹钢琴。
  Mary plays the piano.
• 她会弹钢琴。
  She can play the piano.

Words starting with 琴

• 琴弦qín xiánstring (of a stringed instrument)
• 琴键qín jiàna piano key
• 琴师qín shīplayer of a stringed instrument
• 琴手qín shǒuplayer of a stringed instrument
• 琴书qín shūtraditional art form, consisting of sung story telling with musical accompaniment
• 琴瑟qín sèqin and se, two string instruments that play in perfect harmony; marital harmony
• 琴酒qín jiǔgin (Taiwan variant of 金酒
• 琴鸟qín niǎolyrebird
• 琴通宁qín tōng níng(Taiwan) gin and tonic
• 琴通尼qín tōng ní(Taiwan) gin and tonic
• 琴瑟不调qín sè bù tiáoout of tune; marital discord, cf qin and se 琴瑟, two string instruments as symbol of…
• 琴斯托霍瓦Qín sī tuō huò wǎCzęstochowa (city in Poland)
• 琴棋书画qín qí shū huà(idiom) the four arts of the Chinese scholar (guqin, Go, calligraphy and painting)…
• 琴瑟和鸣qín sè hé míngin perfect harmony; in sync; lit. qin and se sing in harmony
• 琴弓qín gōngbow (of a stringed instrument)
• 琴锤qín chuímallet; drumstick
• 琴剑飘零qín jiàn piāo língfloating between zither and sword (idiom); fig. wandering aimlessly with no tenured…

Words containing 琴

• 钢琴gāng qínpiano
• 小提琴xiǎo tí qínfiddle; violin
• 弹琴tán qínto play or strum a lute or other stringed instrument
• 大提琴dà tí qíncello
• 提琴tí qíninstrument of the violin family (violin, viola, cello or double bass)
• 钢琴家gāng qín jiāpianist
• 口琴kǒu qínharmonica
• 手风琴shǒu fēng qínaccordion
• 风琴fēng qínpipe organ (musical instrument)
• 爱琴海Ài qín HǎiAegean Sea
• 竖琴shù qínharp
• 古琴gǔ qínguqin or qin, a long zither with seven strings, plucked with the fingers
• 电子琴diàn zǐ qínelectronic keyboard (music)
• 胡琴hú qinhuqin; family of Chinese two-stringed fiddles, with snakeskin covered wooden soundbox and…
• 管风琴guǎn fēng qínorgan; pipe organ
• 伦琴Lún qínWilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923), German mechanical engineer
• 嘴琴zuǐ qínJew's harp
• 扬琴yáng qínyangqin; dulcimer (hammered string musical instrument)
• 月琴yuè qínyueqin, a lute with oval or octagonal sound box
• 木琴mù qínxylophone
• 钟琴zhōng qínglockenspiel
• 铁琴tiě qínmetallophone
• 中提琴zhōng tí qínviola
• 乱弹琴luàn tán qínto talk nonsense; to behave like a fool

Characters built on 今

These share the phonetic component 今 (jīn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 吟yínto chant; to recite; verse; song (often used in titles of classical poems)…
• 矜jīnto boast; to esteem; to sympathize
• 衾qīncoverlet; quilt
• 妗jìnwife of mother's brother
• 芩qínPhragmites japonica
• 衿jīncollar; belt; variant of 襟
• 侌yīnold variant of 阴

Characters that look like 琴

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 掌zhǎngpalm of the hand; sole of the foot; paw
• 婴yīnginfant; baby
• 犁líplow
• 孳zīindustrious; produce; bear
• 覃tándeep
• 零língzero; nought; zero sign

Sounds the same

Read qín, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 勤diligent; industrious; hardworking; frequent; regular; constant; (bound form) work; duty…
• 禽(bound form) birds; fowl; (literary) birds and animals; old variant of 擒
• 擒to capture
• 噙to hold in (usually refers the mouth or eyes)
• 芹Chinese celery
• 嗪used in phonetic transcription -xine, -zine or -chin
• 螓small cicada with a square head
• 檎used in 林檎
• 芩Phragmites japonica
• 慬(literary) brave; worried; distressed
• 庈(person)
• 锓to carve