also: つるぎ
noun
Refers to a sword, especially a large, double-edged one. The reading つるぎ is more traditional and often used in literary or historical contexts, while けん is the common Sino-Japanese reading.
彼は剣を抜いて敵に立ち向かった。
He drew his sword and faced the enemy.
この剣は名工が鍛えたものだ。
This sword was forged by a master craftsman.
noun
Only with reading けん
Used for a bayonet attached to a rifle. Reading is けん.
銃に剣を取り付けて突撃した。
They fixed bayonets to their rifles and charged.
noun
Only with reading けん
Refers to the art or skill of swordsmanship. Reading is けん.
彼は剣の達人だ。
He is a master of swordsmanship.
noun
Only with reading けん
Zoological term for the stinger or ovipositor of insects. Reading is けん.
蜂の剣は毒を注入する。
The bee's stinger injects venom.
Kana spelling for the native reading つるぎ, used when the reading is explicitly つるぎ or to avoid ambiguity with けん.
Outdated kanji variant; not used in modern Japanese.
Outdated kanji variant; not used in modern Japanese.
The kanji 剣 is a phono-semantic compound: 僉 (qiān) phonetic and 刂 (knife) semantic. The native Japanese reading つるぎ is of uncertain origin, possibly related to 釣る (tsuru, 'to hang') + き (ki, 'blade'), but this is speculative.