栞

• Reading: しおり
• Romaji: shiori
• Kanji breakdown: 栞 (shiori) — bookmark; kanji represents a tree with a notch cut into it, reflecting the original meaning of a marked branch
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.o.ɾi/

Meaning

Bookmark; a small marker placed in a book to hold one's page. Also: a guidebook or travel pamphlet.

A noun used primarily for the slip of paper, ribbon, or card inserted into a book to mark a reading position. The secondary meaning of a small guidebook or pamphlet (e.g., 旅の栞, a travel guide) derives from the original meaning: a branch bent to mark a path through the forest, guiding the traveller. This dual sense — marking a place in a book and guiding through information — makes 栞 a word rich with literary and cultural resonance.

Examples

1. 旅先で求めた和紙の栞を、今も大切な本に挟んで使っている。 I still use a washi paper bookmark I bought on a trip, keeping it in my favorite book.
2. 彼女は読みかけのページに静かに栞を挟んで、席を立った。 She quietly slipped a bookmark into the page she was reading and stood up from her seat.
3. 入学式に配られた栞には、校長の言葉と学校の案内が印刷されていた。 The pamphlet handed out at the entrance ceremony had the principal's words and a school guide printed on it.

Usage Guide

Context: books, reading, stationery, traditional culture

Tone: gentle

Origin & History

Derived from the verb 枝折る (shioru, to bend a branch), referring to the ancient practice of bending tree branches to mark a trail through the forest. Over time the meaning shifted to any marker — in a book or in life — that helps one find one's way back.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal