Components

謙 means 'self-effacing'

Animation / stroke order not available.
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Strokes : 17    Frequency: 1723   JLPT: N1    Usefulness: 5    Study set: 5-30    Grade: 8   Intermediate lesson: -    Beginner lesson: -   Begins 12 words   Used in 13 words   Used in 338 names   Not used as a component
Jōyō (常用)
On
   ケン
Kun    へりくだ self-effacing, humble oneself, condescend, be modest
Name    かね   ゆずる
A Joy o' Kanji essay is available for 謙 - click the badge to download
Find out how to say, "He modestly understated his fabulous achievements" and "His modesty is commendable." Learn about honorific versus humble speech: the purpose, formation, and altered vocabulary. And "meet" people with 謙 in their names, such as actor Ken Watanabe; the first person to cross the Pacific by yacht; and an empress who may have dallied with a sinister monk.
The essay is also included in the following Thematic Bundles
48
Humble Pie
謙 拙 弊 遜
Here one finds all aspects of humble language: a detailed exploration of that linguistic concept (in the 謙 essay), self-deprecating pronouns, humble prefixes, and ways of putting down one's work or one's company. Two of the four kanji join forces in a noun for "modesty; humility" and constitute alternate renderings of へりくだる (to deprecate oneself and praise the listener). Although 遜 means "humble, inferior," aligning with the other three kanji, the Japanese typically negate that humility with 不, ending up with arrogance, which takes this bundle in an unexpected direction.
⿰   say; word   double  
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In the most useful 10,000 words in Japanese, 謙 is used 2 times, read 2 ways.
Across all words in Japanese, 謙 is used 11 times, read 2 ways.
Showing:
ケン : 10 words FIND ALL
1
modesty; humility
(click the word for examples and links)
へりくだ : 1 word FIND ALL
4 0
Most common form: へりくだる
'ru' godan verb, intransitive verb
to deprecate oneself and praise the listener; to abase oneself  (often written with kana only)
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
An additional へりくだ.る less common words include 謙 but the reading has not yet been categorized.
Henshall: 1222  Joy o' Kanji : 1222  Key to Kanji:

Cascading kanji view

ケン    self-effacing   
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ケン   double   かねる to be unable to; to double up as   
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grain
ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   い to say   
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イチ   イツ   ひと    ひと- one   
コウ   ク   くち mouth   
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