Kiokun Logo
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇯🇵🇰🇷
🇨🇳

shrine

HSK 10
kān
カン、ガン
れい
Phonosemantic compound. 龍 represents the meaning and 合 represents the sound.
Components
dragon+ fit =
shrine
Meaning component
dragon
Phonetic component
fit
variant of 合[hé]
View phonetic series →
Notes
Historical Evolution
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Regular
Modern
Chinese
/ [kān]
niche; shrine
Japanese
がん 同音

noun

  1. niche for a Buddhist image; alcove
  2. miniature shrine for a Buddhist image
  3. portable shrine used to move a deceased person from their house to the graveyard (in Okinawa)
Example Sentences