短剣
tanken
The English word 'dagger' can be translated into Japanese as 短剣 (tanken) or 短刀.
Meaning: a stabbing weapon (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 短剣 | tanken |
| 短刀 | tantō |
Both terms refer to a stabbing weapon.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 短剣 (tanken) is composed of the characters for 'short' and 'sword'. The word 短刀 (tantō) is composed of the characters for 'short' and 'knife/blade'.
Which one should you use?
短剣 (tanken) is a more general term used for any short sword or dagger. In contrast, 短刀 (tantō) is more commonly used when specifically referring to traditional Japanese blades.
How do you pronounce it?
tanken
Did you know?
- In Japanese history, some 短刀 were designed as kaiken, small daggers used specifically by court ladies for self-defense or ritual suicide.
- A 短刀 (tantō) was historically a standard part of a samurai's daily attire, often worn tucked into the sash alongside the longer swords.
- The character 刀 in 短刀 is a pictograph that originally depicted a curved blade, reflecting the shape of early Japanese swords.
Examples in context
- 彼女は美しい小太刀を持っていました。She had a beautiful dagger.
- あの忍者は手に短刀を持っていた。That ninja had a dagger in his hand.
- 彼は古い短剣を見つけた。Kare wa furui tanken o mitsuketa.He found an old dagger.
- 博物館に短剣が展示されている。Hakubutsukan ni tanken ga tenji sarete iru.A dagger is on display in the museum.
- その短剣はとても鋭い。Sono tanken wa totemo surudoi.That dagger is very sharp.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are looking at historical artifacts in a museum.
- 美咲 Misaki健太、あの短剣を見て！Kenta, ano tanken o mite!Kenta, look at that dagger!
- 健太 Kenta本当だ、とても美しい短剣だね。Hontō da, totemo utsukushii tanken dane.You're right, it's a very beautiful dagger.
- 美咲 Misaki歴史を感じるデザインだね。Rekishi o kanjiru dezain dane.It's a design that feels historical.
- 健太 Kenta美咲の言う通りだね。Misaki no iu tōri dane.It's just as you say, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dagger” translations and entries 短剣, 短刀, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
