琴 (qín) — HSK 4 Recognition Character: Meaning, Radical & Stroke Order
Pronunciation & meaning
Pronounced .
- Chinese lute or guitar
- string instrument
Stroke Order & Practice
Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.
Decomposition
琴 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Top + Bottom. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.
Radical
The radical of 琴 is 王 — meaning king. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.
How the character is built
琴 is an ideographic compound — its meaning is suggested by the combination of its parts rather than by sound. Two guitar strings 玨 suggest the meaning; 今 provides the pronunciation.
HSK 4 Words Containing 琴
Tasks Featuring 琴 / 相关任务
Words containing 琴 appear in these official HSK 4 task scenarios — study the character in context:
FAQ
What does 琴 mean in Chinese?
琴 (qín) means Chinese lute or guitar, string instrument. It is one of the 441 characters HSK 4 requires you to recognize when reading (认读字).
How many strokes does 琴 have?
琴 is written in 12 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 琴?
The radical of 琴 is 王 (king).
What is the pinyin for 琴?
琴 is pronounced qín.
What HSK 4 words use 琴?
In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 琴 appears in 2 words, including 钢琴 (gāngqín), 琴 (qín). See the full list above.