琴

琴 U+7434, 琴 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7434 ← 琳 [U+7433] CJK Unified Ideographs 琵 → [U+7435]

Translingual

Han character

琴 (Kangxi radical 96, 玉+8, 12 strokes, cangjie input 一土人戈弓 (MGOIN), four-corner 1120₇, composition ⿱玨今)

Derived characters

• 噖, 䔷

Additional Derived Characters

• 𡡱, 𮱾, 𫾂, 𣾔, 𣚶, 𬎋, 𦠴, 𬒠, 𨬩, 𤩍

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 735, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21079
• Dae Jaweon: page 1147, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1119, character 7
• Unihan data for U+7434

Chinese

trad.		琴
simp. #		琴
alternative forms		珡 ancient 𤦡 𤩟 琹 𨨖 珡 ancient 𤦡 𤩟 琹 𨨖 𨪖 𩰔 䦦 𤫍 𨫹 䥅 䥆 𤫒

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 琴
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (今) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
貪	*kʰl'uːm
嗿	*l̥ʰuːmʔ
僋	*l̥ʰuːms, *luːms
酓	*qʰɯːm, *qlamʔ, *qlɯːms
馠	*qʰɯːm
谽	*qʰɯːm
唅	*qʰɯːm, *ɡɯːms
含	*ɡɯːm
肣	*ɡɯːm, *ɡɯːmʔ
頷	*ɡɯːm, *ɡɯːmʔ
筨	*ɡɯːm
梒	*ɡɯːm
鋡	*ɡɯːm
莟	*ɡɯːmʔ, *ɡɯːms
琀	*ɡɯːms
浛	*ɡɯːms
盦	*qɯːm, *qaːb
韽	*qɯːm, *qrɯːms
玪	*krɯːm
妗	*qʰrɯːm, *kʰjam, *qʰlɯːm, *ɡrɯms
欦	*qʰrɯːmʔ, *qʰram, *kʰlam, *kʰlamʔ, *qʰlɯːm
黔	*ɡram, *ɡrɯm
鈐	*ɡram
鳹	*ɡram
雂	*ɡram, *ɡrɯm
念	*nɯːms
梣	*sɡɯm, *sɡrɯm
枔	*sɢrɯm
岑	*sɡrɯm
笒	*sɡrɯm, *ɡrɯms
涔	*sɡrɯm
侺	*ɡjɯms
今	*krɯm
黅	*krɯm
衿	*krɯm
衾	*kʰrɯm
坅	*kʰrɯmʔ
搇	*kʰrɯms
琴	*ɡrɯm
禽	*ɡrɯm
芩	*ɡrɯm
庈	*ɡrɯm
耹	*ɡrɯm
靲	*ɡrɯm
擒	*ɡrɯm
檎	*ɡrɯm
紟	*ɡrɯms
吟	*ŋɡrɯm, *ŋɡrɯms
訡	*ŋɡrɯm
廞	*qʰrɯm, *qʰrɯmʔ
陰	*qrɯm
霠
飲	*qrɯmʔ, *qrɯms
蔭	*qrɯms
廕	*qrɯms
矜	*ɡrɯn, *ɡɯn, *kɯŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ɡrɯm): semantic 珡 + phonetic 今 (OC *krɯm).

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qín (qin²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄣˊ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): kam⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): kim³ / kim^3*

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khìm

  (Hailu, HRS): kim

  (Meixian, Guangdong): kim²

• Eastern Min (BUC): kìng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ging²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khîm

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kim⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶jin
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jin²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qín
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cín
    • Wade–Giles: chʻin²
    • Yale: chín
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyn
    • Palladius: цинь (cinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰin³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: kam⁴
    • Yale: kàhm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kam⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: kem⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɐm²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: kim³ / kim^3*
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰim²²/, /kʰim²²⁻²²⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khìm
    • Hakka Romanization System: kim^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kim²
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰim¹¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: kim
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰim⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: kim²
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰim¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kìng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiŋ⁵³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ging²
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gíng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ¹³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ging²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiŋ²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khîm
    • Tâi-lô: khîm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qiim
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰim²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰim²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰim¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰim²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰim²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kim⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khîm
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰim⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶jin
    • MiniDict: jin^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³jjin
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /d͡ʑin²³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: jin²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: gim

Rime
Character	琴
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	群 (30)
Final (韻)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	巨金切
Baxter	gim
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɡˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/ɡᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/ɡiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/gjim/
Li Rong	/ɡjəm/
Wang Li	/ɡĭĕm/
Bernhard Karlgren	/gi̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qín
Expected Cantonese Reflex	kam4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[C.ɢ](r)[ə]m/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɡrɯm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	琴
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qín
Middle Chinese	‹ gim ›
Old Chinese	/*[C.ɢ](r)[ə]m/
English	lute
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	琴
Reading #	1/1
No.	6605
Phonetic component	今
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	琴
Old Chinese	/*ɡrɯm/

Definitions

琴

1. (music) qin (“Chinese zithers”), referring to any of several traditional Chinese musical instruments, most famously the guqin
2. (literary) to play the qin

   • 象往入舜宮，舜在床琴。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     象往入舜宫，舜在床琴。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Xiàng wǎng rù Shùn gōng, Shùn zài chuáng qín. [Pinyin]

     Xiang entered Shun's room, and found Shun on his bed playing the zither.

3. (music) collective name for certain musical instruments, usually of string or keyboard types, such as piano, organ, violin, cello, huqin, accordion, harmonica, etc.

   口琴  ―  kǒuqín  ―  harmonica

   風琴／风琴  ―  fēngqín  ―  organ

   馬頭琴／马头琴  ―  mǎtóuqín  ―  horsehead fiddle

4. (music, specifically) piano (Classifier: 部 c)

   三角琴  ―  sānjiǎoqín  ―  grand piano

   練琴／练琴 [Cantonese]  ―  lin⁶ kam⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  to practise playing the piano

   我學過兩年琴。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   我学过两年琴。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   ngo⁵ hok⁶ gwo³ loeng⁵ nin⁴ kam⁴. [Jyutping]

   I learned to play the piano for two years.

Synonyms

• (piano):

Dialectal synonyms of 鋼琴 (“piano”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		鋼琴
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	鋼琴
	Singapore	鋼琴
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	鋼琴
	Xining	鋼琴
	Xuzhou	鋼琴
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	鋼琴
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	鋼琴
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	鋼琴
Cantonese	Guangzhou	鋼琴
	Hong Kong	鋼琴, 琴
	Taishan	鋼琴
	Dongguan	鋼琴
Hakka	Meixian	鋼琴
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	鋼琴, 皮阿諾
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	鋼琴
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	鋼琴
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	鋼琴
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	鋼琴
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	鋼琴, 皮阿諾
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	鋼琴, 皮阿諾
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	鋼琴, 皮阿諾
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	鋼琴, 皮阿諾
Jin	Taiyuan	鋼琴
Northern Min	Jian'ou	鋼琴
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	鋼琴
Southern Min	Xiamen	鋼琴
	Quanzhou	鋼琴
	Zhangzhou	鋼琴
	Tainan	鋼琴
	Manila (Hokkien)	鋼琴, 琴
	Haikou	鋼琴
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	鋼琴
Wu	Shanghai	鋼琴, 披耶挪
	Hangzhou	鋼琴
	Ningbo	鋼琴
Xiang	Changsha	鋼琴

Descendants

• → Burmese: ခင် (hkang)
• → English: qin
• → Thai: ขิม (kǐm) (via Min Nan)

Compounds

• 一弦琴
• 一琴一鶴 / 一琴一鹤
• 七弦琴
• 中提琴 (zhōngtíqín)
• 中音提琴
• 人琴俱亡
• 人琴俱杳
• 伯牙鼓琴
• 低音提琴 (dīyīn tíqín)
• 侖琴 / 仑琴
• 侖琴射線 / 仑琴射线
• 八音琴
• 六弦琴 (liùxiánqín)
• 六角琴 (liùjiǎoqín)
• 劍膽琴心 / 剑胆琴心 (jiàndǎnqínxīn)
• 口琴 (kǒuqín)
• 口風琴 / 口风琴 (kǒufēngqín)
• 古琴 (gǔqín)
• 四弦琴 (sìxiánqín)
• 大提琴 (dàtíqín)
• 大鍵琴 / 大键琴 (dàjiànqín)
• 天琴座 (Tiānqínzuò)
• 奏琴
• 奚琴 (xīqín)
• 對牛彈琴 / 对牛弹琴 (duìniútánqín)
• 小提琴 (xiǎotíqín)
• 山東琴書 / 山东琴书
• 布祖基琴 (bùzǔjīqín)
• 龐琴曲線 / 庞琴曲线
• 弓琴
• 彈琴 / 弹琴 (tánqín)
• 彎琴 / 弯琴 (wānqín)
• 愛琴文化 / 爱琴文化
• 愛琴海 / 爱琴海 (Àiqín Hǎi)
• 戴逵破琴
• 手風琴 / 手风琴 (shǒufēngqín)
• 抱琴
• 提琴 (tíqín)
• 揚琴 / 扬琴 (yángqín)
• 撫琴 / 抚琴 (fǔqín)
• 操琴 (cāoqín)
• 月琴 (yuèqín)
• 木琴 (mùqín)
• 柳琴 (liǔqín)
• 梅花琴 (méihuāqín)
• 洋琴 (yángqín)
• 炕琴桌兒 / 炕琴桌儿
• 焦尾琴
• 無弦琴 / 无弦琴
• 焚琴煮鶴 / 焚琴煮鹤 (fén qín zhǔ hè)
• 煮鶴焚琴 / 煮鹤焚琴
• 煮鶴燒琴 / 煮鹤烧琴
• 獨弦琴 / 独弦琴 (dúxiánqín)
• 琴劍 / 琴剑
• 琴劍飄零 / 琴剑飘零
• 琴史
• 琴堂
• 琴師 / 琴师 (qínshī)
• 琴弓 (qíngōng)
• 琴弦 (qínxián)
• 琴心
• 琴心三疊 / 琴心三叠
• 琴心劍膽 / 琴心剑胆
• 琴心相挑
• 琴手
• 琴斷朱弦 / 琴断朱弦
• 琴書 / 琴书
• 琴棒 (qínbàng)
• 琴棋書畫 / 琴棋书画 (qínqíshūhuà)
• 琴槌 (qínchuí)
• 琴歌
• 琴瑟 (qínsè)
• 琴瑟不調 / 琴瑟不调
• 琴瑟之好
• 琴瑟和好
• 琴瑟和諧 / 琴瑟和谐
• 琴瑟和鳴 / 琴瑟和鸣 (qínsèhémíng)
• 琴瑟失調 / 琴瑟失调
• 琴瑟相調 / 琴瑟相调
• 琴瑟調和 / 琴瑟调和
• 琴碼 / 琴码 (qínmǎ)
• 琴童 (qíntóng)
• 琴聲 / 琴声
• 琴譜 / 琴谱 (qínpǔ)
• 琴酒 (qínjiǔ)
• 琴鐘 / 琴钟
• 琴韻 / 琴韵
• 琴馬 / 琴马 (qínmǎ)
• 琴高乘鯉 / 琴高乘鲤
• 琴鳥 / 琴鸟 (qínniǎo)
• 瑟弄琴調 / 瑟弄琴调
• 瑟調琴弄 / 瑟调琴弄
• 瑤琴 / 瑶琴
• 百衲琴
• 眠琴綠陰 / 眠琴绿阴
• 破琴絕絃 / 破琴绝弦
• 秦琴 (qínqín)
• 竹琴
• 管風琴 / 管风琴 (guǎnfēngqín)
• 素琴
• 綠琴 / 绿琴
• 翼琴
• 胡琴 (húqín)
• 西塔琴
• 豎琴 / 竖琴 (shùqín)
• 鋼片琴 / 钢片琴 (gāngpiànqín)
• 鋼琴 / 钢琴 (gāngqín)
• 鋸琴 / 锯琴
• 鋼琴酒吧 / 钢琴酒吧
• 鐘琴 / 钟琴 (zhōngqín)
• 鐵琴 / 铁琴
• 電子琴 / 电子琴 (diànzǐqín)
• 雷琴 (léiqín)
• 風琴 / 风琴 (fēngqín)
• 馬林巴琴 / 马林巴琴 (mǎlínbāqín)
• 馬頭琴 / 马头琴 (mǎtóuqín)
• 魯特琴 / 鲁特琴 (lǔtèqín)
• 鳴琴 / 鸣琴
• 鳴琴垂拱 / 鸣琴垂拱
• 鳴琴而治 / 鸣琴而治
• 鼓琴
• 鼓琴悲

Etymology 2

See 琴日.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kam⁴

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: kam⁴
    • Yale: kàhm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kam⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: kem⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɐm²¹/

Definitions

琴

1. (Cantonese) yesterday

Compounds

• 琴日
• 琴晚

References

• “琴”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–