Standard Lemma guide

guqin

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɡuːˈt͡ʃiːn/
  • go͞o′chĭn′
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːn

1

noun

Meaning 1

A plucked zither-like stringed instrument (chordophone), traditionally featuring seven unfretted strings, originating in ancient China.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 古琴 (gǔqín), made up of 古 (gǔ, “ancient”) and 琴 (qín, “stringed instrument”).

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese: 琴 (zh-min-nan) — instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 古琴 (gǔqín) — instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 琴 (qín) — instrument
  • Chinese Mandarin: 七絃琴 /七弦琴 (qīxiánqín) — instrument
  • Dutch: qin — instrument
  • French: guqin — instrument
  • German: Qin — instrument
  • Japanese: 古琴 (kokin) — instrument
  • Korean: 고금 (gogeum) — instrument
  • Korean: 구친 (guchin) — instrument
  • Macedonian: гучин (gučin) — instrument
  • Marathi: कूचिन (kūcin) — instrument
  • Russian: гуци́нь (gucínʹ) — instrument
  • Russian: цисяньци́нь (cisjanʹcínʹ) — instrument
  • Spanish: guqin — instrument
  • Swedish: guqin — instrument
  • Thai: กู่ฉิน (gùu-chǐn) — instrument
  • Vietnamese: cổ cầm — instrument