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道Nihongo Path
吟

吟·recite, examine

On-yomi
ギン
Kun-yomi
none

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

7 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
吟味ぎんみcareful examination, scrutiny
詩吟しぎんrecitation of Chinese poems
吟じるぎんじるto chant, to recite
吟遊詩人ぎんゆうしじんminstrel, bard

Example sentences

  1. 材料を吟味して料理を作る。

    ざいりょうをぎんみしてりょうりをつくる。

    I cook after carefully selecting the ingredients.

  2. 祖父は毎週詩吟を習っている。

    そふはまいしゅうしぎんをならっている。

    My grandfather takes poetry-chanting lessons every week.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 吟味 as ぎんあじ — it is ぎんみ
  • Assuming 吟味 means 'tasting' — it is careful scrutiny of quality, not sampling flavour

Memory aid

Picture it

Mouth 口 plus 今 'now' — giving voice to words right now, chanting them, and by extension weighing them over carefully.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 吟 mean?