泡

• Reading: あわ
• Romaji: awa
• Kanji breakdown: 泡 (hou/awa) — bubble, foam
• Pronunciation: /a.wa/

Meaning

Bubble; foam; froth. A thin sphere of liquid filled with air.

A noun for bubbles, foam, and froth in various contexts — soap bubbles (シャボン玉), beer foam, ocean froth, and bath bubbles. Figuratively used in expressions like 泡になる (to come to nothing, to vanish like bubbles) and 泡を食う (to be flustered). Also appears in バブル経済 discussions as 泡 (economic bubble).

Examples

1. ビールの泡がきめ細かくておいしい。 The beer has a fine foam and tastes great.
2. 石鹸の泡で手をきれいに洗った。 I washed my hands thoroughly with soap lather.
3. せっかくの計画が泡になってしまった。 All that planning came to nothing.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, cooking, figurative speech

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 泡 combines the water radical 氵 with 包 (wrap), depicting water wrapping around air to form bubbles.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal