楽器

• Reading: がっき
• Romaji: gakki
• Kanji breakdown: 楽 (gaku) — music, comfort; 器 (ki) — instrument, vessel
• Pronunciation: /ɡak.ki/

Meaning

Musical instrument. Any device created or adapted to make musical sounds.

A noun covering all types of musical instruments, from traditional Japanese instruments like 三味線 (shamisen) and 琴 (koto) to Western instruments like ピアノ (piano) and ギター (guitar). Common collocations include 楽器店 (music shop), 楽器を弾く (to play an instrument), and 管楽器 (wind instrument).

Examples

1. 小さいころからいろいろな楽器を習った。 I learned various musical instruments from a young age.
2. 新しい楽器を買ったので練習が楽しみだ。 I bought a new instrument, so I'm looking forward to practicing.
3. この店にはたくさんの楽器が並んでいる。 This store has a large selection of instruments on display.

Usage Guide

Context: music, education, hobbies

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 楽 (music, comfort) and 器 (instrument, vessel). Together they mean a vessel or device for making music.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal