VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

弾く

ひく

hepburn hiku

to play (string/keyboard instrument)

Part of speech · godan-verb

Pattern visualization

no decomposition available

Examples

ピアノを弾く。
I play the piano.
彼女はギターが弾ける。
She can play the guitar.

Collocations

弾く (hiku, to play strings or keys)ピアノを弾く (piano wo hiku, play the piano)ギターを弾く (gitaa wo hiku, play the guitar)三味線 (shamisen, three-string Japanese lute)琴 (koto, Japanese zither)

Mnemonic

Hiku-play (弾く) is "to play (a stringed or keyboard instrument)" — B + cluster (Japanese traditional and Western music culture). Kanji 弾 (snap / bullet, same kanji). Homophone with hiku 引く "to pull" (separate entry). Cluster mental note: cluster entry. Japanese cluster: (1) shamisen (three-string traditional lute — kabuki, bunraku, folk accompaniment, descended from Okinawan sanshin); (2) koto (thirteen-string Japanese zither, classical New Year BGM); (3) hougaku (Japanese classical music vs Western yougaku); (4) piano kyoushitsu (piano lessons — common option for Japanese kids; 1960-70s policy embedded "narau piano" with a 1980 peak where one in four 7-year-olds enrolled); (5) keion-gakubu (light-music club — staple high-school and university club, the band-activity hub). Verb split traps: hiku for strings, keys, strings, guns; ensou suru formal; tataku for drums and taiko; fuku for wind instruments. JLPT N5 plus Japans music cultural cluster.

Quick check

Japanese instrument-verb split?