neck, counter for songs and poems

About this kanji

The kanji 「首」 primarily means "neck," but it has several other interesting uses as well. It can function both as a noun and be part of compound terms. For instance, 一首 (いっしゅ) means "one tanka," referring to a traditional Japanese poem. 元首 (げんしゅ) translates to "sovereign," while 首相 (しゅしょう) means "prime minister"—a key political position in Japan. Additionally, 首都 (しゅと) refers to the "national capital" city. A useful note about this kanji is that when it appears in compound words, it often relates to leadership or the head of a group.

Example sentences

• 首都には多くの文化があります。

  The capital has a lot of culture.

Meanings across languages

English

neck, counter for songs and poems

Tiếng Việt

cổ, số lượng bài hát và thơ

日本語

首, 首, 歌

한국어

목, 노래

中文

头, 曲目

id

leher

th

คอ

es

cuello

fr

cou

de

Hals

pt

pescoço

Common compounds

• 一首いっしゅone tanka, one poem
• 元首げんしゅsovereign, ruler, head of state
• 首相しゅしょうprime minister, chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.), premier
• 首長しゅちょうhead (of organization, organisation), chief, sheikh
• 首都しゅと(national) capital (city), metropolis
• 首脳しゅのうhead, leader, top
• 党首とうしゅparty leader
• 首位しゅいfirst place, head position, leading position

Words using this kanji

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