forge

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The on reading is たん, and the kun reading is きたえる. It has 17 strokes. It appears in words for training the body or a skill and forging metal.
• Basic usage: 鍛える is read きたえる, and 鍛冶 is read かじ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 鍛える / 鍛冶
  • 鍛える means to train or to forge and is read きたえる. It describes training the body or a skill, or forging metal.
  • 毎朝走って足腰を鍛えている。 means “I strengthen my lower body by running every morning.”
  • 鍛冶 means blacksmithing or metal forging and is read かじ. It refers to blacksmithing used to make metal tools.
  • 博物館では昔の鍛冶に使われた道具が展示されている。 means “The museum displays tools once used in blacksmithing.”