Meanings
nounsanxian (plural sanxians)
plural sanxians
- entertainmentA three-stringed fretless Chinese instrument.
Origin
Borrowed from Mandarin 三弦 (sānxián). Doublet of sanshin.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 三弦
- 三弦 (sānxián)three-stringed fretless Chinese instrument
Japanese 三弦
- 三弦 (sangen)three-stringed fretless Chinese instrument
Korean 삼현금
- 삼현금 (samhyeon'geum)three-stringed fretless Chinese instrument
Cite this entry
APA
sanxian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanxian
MLA
“sanxian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanxian. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sanxian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanxian.
Source: sanxian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.