Japanese edit

 
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Wikipedia ja
Kanji in this term
けん
Grade: S
on’yomi

Etymology edit

There were various similar games originating in China that were played with the fist (, Japanese reading of ken). Possible derivations of janken include a shift from the Chinese pronunciation of 兩拳两拳 (literally both fists, two fists),[1][2] perhaps the Min Nan reading liáng kûn, or a shift from (shakken, literally stone fist), suggested also by the game's alternative name of 石拳 (ishiken, using the kun'yomi of ishi for the character).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

じゃん(けん) (janken

  1. rock paper scissors (popular children's game)

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

See also edit

  • グー (, rock, in a game of rock, paper, scissors)
  • チョキ (choki, scissors, in a game of rock, paper, scissors)
  • パー (, paper, in a game of rock, paper, scissors)

Verb edit

じゃん(けん)する (janken surusuru (stem じゃん(けん) (janken shi), past じゃん(けん)した (janken shita))

  1. to play rock paper scissors (popular child's game)

Conjugation edit

Descendants edit

  • English: janken

References edit

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. 3.0 3.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. 4.0 4.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN