Kanji quizzes for the joy of reading
How do you read 牽引 in Japanese?
Pull forward from the front.
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HINTShow hint
Pulling something. In expressions such as 活動の○○役, it can also suggest a driving force behind an activity.
More on radicals and this quiz’s stroke counts
Describe the shapes you see
You do not need to know the radical’s name. Try these searches for this quiz’s characters.
kanji with a 玄-like shape and 冖 above 牛
kanji with 弓 beside a vertical stroke
Japanese word with an 11-stroke character ending 牛 followed by 引
These searches describe visual similarities, not formal radicals or character components.
牽: 11 strokes; radical 牛 (cow). 引: 4 strokes; radical 弓 (bow). Visual search descriptions are distinct from dictionary radical classifications.
牽11 strokes / radical: 牛 (cow)
引4 strokes / radical: 弓 (bow)
Stroke counts and radicals follow the Japanese dictionary Kanjipedia; other dictionaries may differ.
ANSWERShow answerHide answer
The answer is
けんいん
ken’in
牽引
Understand the meaning
English translationPulling / driving forward
Pulling something. At work, an expression such as 牽引役 can figuratively describe a person or force that moves a group or activity forward.
See it in a sentence
新しい参加者をつなぐ担当者が、読書活動の牽引役になった。The coordinator connecting new participants became a driving force behind the reading program.
A way to remember
牽 is ken and 引 is in. Read ken’in, retaining the i between the two syllables.
Sources：Kanjipedia: 牽引 ／ Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary: 牽引 (Kotobank)
The explanation draws on the sources below. Examples were written for this page.
Explore the word further
Describe the driving contribution
Use 企画の牽引役. Explain what moved the work forward, such as bringing people together or coordinating arrangements.
例：毎週の相談会を続けた先輩が、共同制作の牽引役を担った。
The senior colleague who maintained weekly consultations became the driving force behind the collaborative project.
Distinguish physical pulling from the metaphor
Towing a vehicle involves physical pulling, whereas a project’s 牽引役 is a metaphor for its driving force. Identify the object being described.
References for this explanation：Kanjipedia: 牽引 ／ Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary: 牽引 (Kotobank)
Explanation checked on 2026-11-02. Additional examples were written by DuraRing for this page.
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