What is the Kanji for "Music" and "Bend"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Music" and "Bend", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Music" and "Bend" is "曲".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Ma".

Its onyomi reading is "Kyoku".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "日" means "Day" and "Sun" and can be read as "Jitsu", "Nichi", "Hi" and "Ka". And The radical "丨" means "Stick" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "曲" mean in japanese?

"曲" means "Music" and "Bend" .

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

曲: "Song". The Japanese noun '曲 (きょく)' primarily means 'song' or 'musical piece'. It refers to a composition of music, often with lyrics, but can also denote instrumental pieces. This word is commonly used in contexts related to music, such as discussing favorite songs, composing music, or performing. For example: This is my favorite song「これは私の好きな曲です」(これはわたしのすきなきょくです). He composed a new song「彼は新しい曲を作った」(かれはあたらしいきょくをつくった). While '曲' can sometimes refer to a 'tune' or 'melody', its primary and most frequent usage is to denote a complete song.

曲がり角: "Corner". The Japanese noun '曲がり角 (まがりかど)' refers to a 'corner' or 'bend' in a road or path. It is often used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it describes a physical turn or curve in a street or path. Metaphorically, it can signify a turning point or critical moment in life or a situation. For example: Turn right at the corner「曲がり角を右に曲がってください」(まがりかどをみぎにまがってください). This is a turning point in my life「これは私の人生の曲がり角です」(これはわたしのじんせいのまがりかどです). The word is commonly used in everyday conversation and literature to describe both physical and abstract concepts.

作曲: "Composition". The Japanese verbal noun '作曲 (さっきょく)' refers to the act of composing music. It is used to describe the process of creating musical pieces, whether they are songs, symphonies, or other forms of music. This term is often used in contexts related to music production, education, and appreciation. For example: He is famous for his composition「彼は作曲で有名です」(かれはさっきょくでゆうめいです). I enjoy composing music in my free time「私は暇な時に作曲を楽しみます」(わたしはひまなときにさっきょくをたのしみます). The word can also be used in compound forms, such as '作曲家 (さっきょくか)' which means 'composer'.

曲がる: "Bend". The Japanese verb '曲がる (まがる)' means 'to bend' or 'to curve'. It is used to describe something that changes direction or shape, such as a road, a line, or an object. This verb can also be used metaphorically to describe a change in behavior or attitude. For example: The road bends to the right「道が右に曲がる」(みちがみぎにまがる). The metal rod bent under the weight「金属の棒が重みで曲がった」(きんぞくのぼうがおもみでまがった). He never bends the rules「彼は決してルールを曲げない」(かれはけっしてルールをまげない). Note that '曲がる' is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object, while its transitive counterpart '曲げる (まげる)' means 'to bend something'.

曲線: "Curve". The Japanese noun '曲線 (きょくせん)' means 'curve'. It refers to a line that is not straight but bends smoothly, often used in contexts like mathematics, art, or describing shapes. For example: The road has many curves「この道は曲線が多い」(このみちはきょくせんがおおい). The artist drew a beautiful curve「その芸術家は美しい曲線を描いた」(そのげいじゅつかはうつくしいきょくせんをえがいた). This word is commonly used in technical, artistic, or everyday descriptions of shapes and paths.

曲げる: "Bend". The Japanese verb '曲げる (まげる)' means 'to bend'. It is used to describe the action of physically bending something, such as a piece of metal or a limb, or metaphorically bending rules or principles. For example: bend the wire「針金を曲げる」(はりがねをまげる). He bent the rules to help his friend「彼は友達を助けるためにルールを曲げた」(かれはともだちをたすけるためにルールをまげた). The verb can also imply a sense of distortion or alteration, as in bending the truth '真実を曲げる (しんじつをまげる)'.

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". The hiragana "く" is read as "ku". And The hiragana "ま" is read as "ma".

kanji

曲

Meaning

Music, Bend

Reading

onyomiきょくkunyomiま

Parts

日Day, Sun 丨Stick

Handwriting

Example Word

曲: song. The Japanese noun '曲 (きょく)' primarily means 'song' or 'musical piece'. It refers to a composition of music, often with lyrics, but can also denote instrumental pieces. This word is commonly used in contexts related to music, such as discussing favorite songs, composing music, or performing. For example: This is my favorite song「これは私の好きな曲です」(これはわたしのすきなきょくです). He composed a new song「彼は新しい曲を作った」(かれはあたらしいきょくをつくった). While '曲' can sometimes refer to a 'tune' or 'melody', its primary and most frequent usage is to denote a complete song.

kana

き

Reading

Handwriting

kana

く

Reading

Handwriting

kana

ま

Reading

Handwriting