字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

line, track

On’yomi セン
Kun’yomi すじ

Origin

This character combines the thread radical on the left, which marks it as something made from fiber, with the sound component on the right that hints at the pronunciation sen. Threads twisted or arranged in a thin strand create a line, so the character's shape reflects this: a fibrous material (糸) formed into the linear paths we call lines or tracks. The right component doesn't add meaning about water or springs, but simply signals roughly how the word should sound in Chinese and Japanese.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint).

線 15 strokes

Components

  • 糸 radical left
  • 泉 sound hint right

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 一線 いっせん one line; (a) single line
  • 沿線 えんせん places alongside a railway line, bus route, major thoroughfare, etc.
  • 横線 おうせん horizontal line
  • 回線 かいせん circuit; line
  • 幹線 かんせん main line; trunk line
  • 曲線 きょくせん curve
  • 光線 こうせん ray (of light); beam
  • 視線 しせん one's line of sight; one's gaze

Related kanji

Same sound component 泉
Same radical

Reference

Strokes
15
Kangxi radical
120
Grade
Grade 2 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#382 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+07DDA