Back to dictionary
JLPT N117画 · 17 strokesradical 金freq #1793

forge, discipline, train

On'yomi (音読み)

  • タン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • きた.える

Mnemonic

To forge a strong character, one must train by hammering the mind like metal, shaping it brightly under the radical of gold.

About this kanji

The kanji 鍛 (tan, kitaeru) primarily means to forge or to discipline. It can refer to either training a person or shaping metal, making it a versatile term. One common compound is 鍛える (kitaeru), which means 'to forge' or 'to train' someone in skills. Another is 鍛錬 (tanren), meaning 'tempering,' often related to metal or discipline in skills. Additionally, 鍛冶 (kaji) refers to blacksmithing, the craft of shaping metal. When using 鍛, remember it emphasizes the effort and dedication put into the process, whether in physical training or in preparing materials.

Example sentences

  • 彼は毎日鍛えることで強くなった。

    He became stronger by training every day.

Meanings across languages

English
forge, discipline, train
Tiếng Việt
rèn, kỷ luật, huấn luyện
日本語
鍛える, 鍛錬, 訓練
한국어
단련하다, 훈련하다, 교육하다
中文
锻造, 训练, 锻炼
id
menempa
th
ตีเหล็ก
es
forjar
fr
forger
de
schmieden
pt
forjar

Common compounds

  • 鍛えるきたえるto forge, to temper, to drill
  • 鍛錬たんれんtempering (metal), annealing, forging
  • 鍛工たんこうmetal worker
  • 鍛冶かじblacksmithing, forging, smithery
  • 鍛造たんぞうforging
  • 鍛接たんせつforge welding
  • 鍛鉄たんてつtempering iron, forging steel, wrought iron
  • 鍛鋼たんこうforged steel

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.