Sanxian
The sanxian, a three-string Chinese lute, in five languages — sanxian, Sanxian, san-hsien
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Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 三弦 |
| English | sanxian (san-hsien) |
| Italian | — (no settled term; sanxian is borrowed) |
| German | Sanxian |
| French | sanxian |
The sanxian is a Chinese plucked lute with three strings, a long fretless neck and a soundbox traditionally covered with snakeskin, held horizontally and played with a plectrum. English keeps sanxian, while the older Wade-Giles san-hsien survives in reference works; German and French generally borrow sanxian. Italian has no settled term and also writes sanxian (a common practice).
Watch out: the sanxian is the ancestor of Japan's shamisen, but the Chinese instrument usually has a snakeskin head while the shamisen uses dog or cat skin, and their neck proportions differ; unlike the four-string, short-necked yueqin, the sanxian has three strings and a long fretless neck.
Read deeper → Sanxian
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与形制，参《中国音乐词典》（人民音乐出版社）及 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Sanxian"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.