棒

• Reading: ぼう
• Romaji: bou
• Kanji breakdown: 棒 (bou) — pole, stick, rod
• Pronunciation: /boː/

Meaning

Pole; rod; stick. A long, thin piece of material.

A noun for elongated, rigid objects. Common compounds: 鉄棒 (tetsubou, horizontal bar / iron bar), 棒グラフ (bou gurafu, bar graph), 綿棒 (menbou, cotton swab), 泥棒 (dorobou, thief — unrelated meaning via different etymology). Idiomatic: 棒に振る (bou ni furu, to waste/throw away), 棒読み (bou yomi, reading in a monotone).

Examples

1. 子供たちが公園で棒を拾って遊んでいる。 The kids are playing with sticks they picked up in the park.
2. この棒グラフは売上の変化を示している。 This bar graph shows the change in sales.
3. 体育の授業で鉄棒の練習をした。 We practiced on the horizontal bar in gym class.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, sports, data presentation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 棒 combines 木 (tree/wood radical) and 奉 (offer/dedicate), originally referring to a wooden staff used in ceremonies or as a tool.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal