Kanji
謙
N1
17 strokes
Grade 8
freq #1582
self-effacing, humble oneself, condescend, be modest
On'yomi (音読み)
ケン
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
へりくだ.る
On'yomi compounds (音読み)
謙虚
けんきょ
modest; humble
謙遜
けんそん
modesty; humility
恭謙
きょうけん
modesty; humility
謙称
けんしょう
self-deprecating term; humble way of referring to oneself, one's abilities, one's possessions, etc.
謙譲
けんじょう
modesty; humility
謙譲語
けんじょうご
humble language (e.g. itadaku)
謙遜語
けんそんご
humble language
謙抑
けんよく
humbling oneself
謙辞
けんじ
modest word; humble language
地山謙
ちざんけん
qian (hexagram 15 of the I Ching: modesty)
Kun'yomi words (訓読み)
謙譲の美徳
けんじょうのびとく
modest virtue
謙る
へりくだる
to deprecate oneself and praise the listener; to abase oneself
謙譲語Ｉ
けんじょうごいち
humble language in which the listener (or a third party) is the indirect object of an action (or the recipient of an object, etc.)
謙譲語ＩＩ
けんじょうごに
humble language in which an action or object is not directed toward the listener (or a third party); humble language used as a courtesy
Example sentences
彼（かれ）は年（とし）をとるにつれて、一層（いっそう）謙虚（けんきょ）になった。
The older he grew, the more modest he became.
彼（かれ）は、社会的地位（しゃかいてきちい）が上（あ）がるにつれて、ますます謙虚（けんきょ）になった。
The higher he rose in social rank, the more modest he became.
彼（かれ）の謙遜（けんそん）さは賞賛（しょうさん）に値（あたい）する。
His modesty is worth respecting.