鎖・鏈・鏁|くさりkusari[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N3approx.Common
Which spelling to use
鎖鎖(くさり) is the most common written form and is written entirely in kanji. It is the form beginners should use.
鏈鏈(くさり) is a rarely used written variant, written entirely in kanji. You will seldom encounter it, so it need not be your choice when writing.
鏁鏁(くさり) is a rarely used written variant, written entirely in kanji. You will seldom encounter it, so it need not be your choice when writing.
Definitions
  1. nounchain; chains
    ジョージはその犬いぬに鎖くさりをつけた。↗
    George put a chain on the dog.
Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymチェーンNeutralLoanword for chains of many kinds — bicycle, tire (タイヤチェーン) — and for chain stores or hotels. 「鎖」 is the iron chain itself, often a metaphor for restraint.
  • Related連環れんかんWrittenWritten/formal word for rings linked together; can mean an actual chain but often figurative, for things linked one after another. For everyday chains use 「鎖」.

Use 「鎖」 for iron chains, fetters, or restraint as a metaphor. For bicycle chains, tire chains, or chain stores say 「チェーン」. In formal prose for things linked ring by ring, 「連環」 fits.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. (くさり)多数たすうの金輪かなわを繫つないだ物もの。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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