弦

instrument string; bowstring

Kanji 1228

Discover the imaginative leaps the Japanese have made by associating 弦 with objects whose shapes suggest curved archery bows and their taut strings. Learn terms for “guitar string” and two categories of stringed instruments, as well as “string quartet” and “orchestra.” Also find out how to speak of stringed, wind, and percussion instruments collectively with a tidy acronym.