弦 (xián): bow string, string of musical instrument, watchspring
弦 (xián) is a Chinese character meaning “bow string.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 弓 (semantic) and 玄 (phonetic). It ranks #2202 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 弦 bow. Its radical form 弓 (bow) appears in many related characters such as 弟 (dì, younger brother), 张 (zhāng, to open up), 强 (qiáng, stubborn).
Definitions
- bow string
- string of musical instrument
- watchspring
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 弦 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 和弦noun | hé xián | (music) chord |
| 管弦乐noun | guǎn xián yuè | orchestral music |
| 弦乐noun | xián yuè | string music |
| 管弦乐队noun | guǎn xián yuè duì | orchestra |
| 心弦noun | xīn xián | heartstrings |
| 琴弦noun | qín xián | string (of a stringed instrument) |
| 扣人心弦phrase | kòu rén xīn xián | to excite |
| 正弦noun | zhèng xián | (math.) sine |
| 余弦noun | yú xián | (math.) cosine |
| 上弦verb | shàng xián | to wind up a watch, clockwork toy etc |
| 三弦noun | sān xián | sanxian, large family of 3-stringed plucked musical instruments, with snakeskin covered wooden soundbox and long neck... |
| 弦乐队 | xián yuè duì | string orchestra |
| 弦乐器noun | xián yuè qì | string instrument |
| 弦月noun | xián yuè | half-moon |
| 改弦易辙phrase | gǎi xián yì zhé | change of string, move out of rut (idiom) |
弦 appears in 59 compound words: 25 as the first character, 47 as the last, and 27 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 弦 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (7)
orchestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments)
(lit.) string and wind instruments (idiom); (fig.) traditional Chinese ensemble music
orchestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments)
(lit.) string and wind instruments (idiom); (fig.) traditional Chinese ensemble music
Example Sentences
学习弦字需要反复练习，才能写得工整。
xué xí xián zì xū yāo fǎn fù liàn xí , cái néng xiě dé gōng zhěng .
Mastering the character "弦" requires repeated practice to achieve neat and precise writing.
库克:独木不成林,单弦不成音 续与陆供应链紧密合作
kù kè : dú mù bù chéng lín , dān xián bù chéng yīn xù yǔ lù gōng yīng liàn jǐn mì gě zuò
Cook: A single tree does not make a forest; a single string does not make a melody. We will continue to work closely with the supply chain.
“独木不成林,单弦不成音” 苹果CEO库克:中国现代化令人...
dú mù bù chéng lín , dān xián bù chéng yīn píng guǒ C E O kù kè : zhōng guó xiàn dài huà lìng rén . . .
“A single tree does not make a forest; a single string does not make a melody.” Apple CEO Tim Cook: China’s modernization is truly...
丝弦渡海 奏响文明互鉴新乐章——2026“中...
sī xián dù hǎi zòu xiǎng wén míng hù jiàn xīn lè zhāng — — 2 0 2 6 zhōng . . .
Strings Across the Seas: Composing a New Chapter in Civilizational Exchange—2026 “China...
夜空将现年度最大上弦月?专家详解成因及观测时机
yè kōng jiāng xiàn nián dù zuì dà shàng xián yuè ? zhuān jiā xiáng jiě chéng yīn jí guàn cè shí jī
Will the night sky be the biggest waxing moon of the year? Experts explain the causes and observation timing in detail
2 月 24 日将迎年度最大上弦月,肉眼即可欣赏
2 yuè 2 4 rì jiāng yíng nián dù zuì dà shàng xián yuè , ròu yǎn jí kě xīn shǎng
February 24 will be the biggest waxing moon of the year, which can be enjoyed with the naked eye
你会弹都塔尔二弦琴吗？
Nǐ huì tán dūtǎ'ěr èrxiánqín ma?
Can you play the dutar?
这是管弦乐团的第五场音乐会。
Zhè shì guǎnxiányuètuán de dìwǔ chǎng yīnyuèhuì.
This is the fifth concert by this orchestra.
我弄断了我吉他的一根弦。
Wǒ nòng duàn le wǒ jítā de yī gēn xián.
I broke a string on my guitar.
我打算加入学校的管弦乐团。
Wǒ dǎsuàn jiārù xuéxiào de guǎnxiányuètuán.
I'm going to join the school orchestra.
Character Family
弓 Radical Family — Characters sharing the bow radical
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 弦 (xián) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 弦 and 畜?
How many strokes does 弦 have?
What is the radical of 弦?
What are the components of 弦?
What are common words containing 弦?
What characters sound the same as 弦 (xián)?
Is 弦 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 弦 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear spoken pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.