xián
noun HSK 7 #8,339

Measure Word

gēn

Meanings

  1. 1 string (of a musical instrument or a bow)
  2. 2 chord (in mathematics); hypotenuse

Examples

Jítā yǒu liù gēn xián.
A guitar has six strings.
Tā bōdòng le qínxián.
He plucked the strings of the instrument.
Zhè jiàn shì chùdòng le tā xīnzhōng de yì gēn xián.
This matter struck a chord in her heart.

Tips

memory
The character has the bow radical on the left — a bowstring is the original meaning. From bow strings to instrument strings to math strings, the concept of a taut line connecting two points runs through all the meanings.

Stroke Order

xián