What does "tanka" mean?
A form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 morae.
Tanka
noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 morae.
- Grammar: tanka is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ballad, bucolic, composition, dirge.
- Useful contrasts: prose.
- Usage evidence: Like haiku, tanka is a short, classical verse form that has attracted considerable attention in this century.
How to use "tanka"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tanka" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tanka" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tanka" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tanka" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tanka" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ballad" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tanka", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 morae.
"Like haiku, tanka is a short, classical verse form that has attracted considerable attention in this century."
- 2 Alternative form of thangka (“Tibetan religious artwork”). alt-of, alternative
"In the practice of yoga certain functions which were previously subconscious become open to consciousness; this opening of the subconscious is well pictured in certain Tibetan tankas, or in Western art, in the Temptation of St. Anthony paintings by Bosch and Grünewald."
- 3 Alternative form of Tanka (“ethnic group of boat people living in China”). alt-of, alternative
"And when foreigners go and come from Whampoa to Canton, tanka-boats and boats with families must not be employed."
- 4 A coin and unit of currency of varying value, formerly used in parts of India and Central Asia. historical
"In Uzbek Turan Shah Rukh's tanka remained the standard silver coin and weighed an average of slightly more than 5 g throughout the sixteenth century."
- 5 A member of a group of people in southern China who traditionally live on junks.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a Tibetan religious painting on fabric wordnet
- 7 A kind of boat used in Guangdong, about 25 feet long and often rowed by Tanka women; junk.
"Immediately on our nearing the harbour, a race took place among the amphibious damsels that inhabit the numerous sampans, tanka or egg-boats, which always lie within a short distance of the shore."
- 8 a form of Japanese poetry; the 1st and 3rd lines have five syllables and the 2nd, 4th, and 5th have seven syllables wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Like haiku, tanka is a short, classical verse form that has attracted considerable attention in this century."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tanka"?
Common synonyms include: ballad, bucolic, composition, dirge, elegy, epic.
How do you use "tanka" in a sentence?
Like haiku, tanka is a short, classical verse form that has attracted considerable attention in this century.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Japanese 短歌 (tanka, “short song”), from Middle Chinese 短 (MC twanX) 歌 (MC ka) (compare Mandarin 短歌 (duǎngē) duǎngē).
Etymology 2
See thangka.
Etymology 3
See Tanka.
Etymology 4
Ultimately from Sanskrit टङ्क (ṭaṅka, “chisel; tanka”).
Etymology 5
Likely from Cantonese 蜑家 (daan6 gaa1).