針
Meaning in Englishneedle, hand (e.g., clock)
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
針 denotes a slender metal implement with a sharp point used to sew fabrics or pierce materials; it also appears as acupuncture needles in medical contexts.
Main meanings
- Needle for sewing and textiles
- Acupuncture or medical needle
- Pin used to fasten or mark fabric
- Clock hand or gauge needle
How to use it
Used as a standard noun for a small slender metal tool with a sharp point; in sewing, tailoring, and crafts; in medicine and traditional Chinese medicine contexts as a needle; in timekeeping and instrumentation to refer to the hands or needles; formal and informal registers depend on surrounding terms
Variants and close terms
- ピン (pin) — Romaji: pin
- 縫い針 (nuibari) — Romaji: nuibari
Composition
- Left component radical 釒 indicates metal
- Right component 真 provides phonetic value and a hint of meaning; together they denote a small sharp metal instrument
Etymology
On'yomi shin from Chinese zhēn; Kunyomi hari; phonetic/semantic notes: 真 provides the sound component and 釒 signals a metal object
Origin
Used since ancient times in Japan as a general term for a small metal sharp point; sewing and textile crafts are a long-standing context, and acupuncture brought cross-cultural medical terminology into Japanese usage.
Word class
noun (名詞)