bell, gong, chimes

About this kanji

The kanji 鐘 (shou) primarily means "bell" or "gong," and is used most often as a noun. You might come across it in compounds like 警鐘 (けいしょう), which means "alarm bell," used to warn of danger; 鐘楼 (しょうろう), referring to a "belfry," where bells are hung; and 釣鐘 (つりがね), which translates to "temple bell," often found in Buddhist temples. When learning this kanji, remember that it evokes a sense of sound and alertness, often related to important occasions in life. So, whether it’s marking an event or signaling something significant, 鐘 is all about making noise!

Example sentences

• 教会の鐘が鳴った。

  The church bell rang.

Meanings across languages

English

bell, gong, chimes

Tiếng Việt

chuông

日本語

鐘

한국어

종

中文

钟

id

lonceng, lonceng, lonceng

th

ระฆัง, ระฆัง, ระฆัง

es

campana, gong, campanillas

fr

cloche, gong, carillons

de

Glocke, Glocke, Glockenspiele

pt

sino, gong, sinos

Common compounds

• 警鐘けいしょうalarm bell, fire bell, warning
• 鐘楼しょうろうbelfry, bell tower
• 釣鐘つりがねtemple bell, hanging bell, funeral bell
• 巨鐘きょしょうlarge hanging bell
• 弔鐘ちょうしょうfuneral bell, death knell
• 半鐘はんしょうfire alarm, fire bell
• 晩鐘ばんしょうevening bell, curfew
• 梵鐘ぼんしょうbonshō, Buddhist temple bell