琴
zither; qin
At a glance · 琴
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
小篆从珏（或玉），今声，本义为七弦琴（弦乐器）。形声清晰。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
本义为拨弦乐器（琴）。
Structure
形声字，从珏/玉（意符，乐器玉饰），今（jīn）为声符。
At a glance
Pinyinqín
Radical王
Strokes12
UnicodeU+7434
Character type形声
Theme礼乐
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
zither; qin
A stringed instrument, especially the guqin.
Français
cithare; qin
Un instrument à cordes, surtout le guqin.
Español
cítara; qin
Un instrumento de cuerda, el guqin.
العربية
قيثارة؛ تشين
آلة وترية، خاصة التشين.
Русский
цинь; цитра
Струнный инструмент, особенно гуцинь.
Common words
- 琴qínqin
- 钢琴gāng qínpiano