株

• Reading: かぶ
• Romaji: kabu
• Kanji breakdown: 株 (kabu) — stock, share; tree stump
• Pronunciation: /ka.bɯ/

Meaning

Stock; share. A unit of ownership in a company, traded on stock exchanges.

A noun with two main meanings: a stock or share in finance, and a tree stump or plant root in everyday language. In business contexts, 株 refers to shares of a company. Common collocations include 株を買う (to buy stocks), 株価 (stock price), and 株式会社 (stock company / corporation).

Examples

1. 最近、株に投資を始めた。 I recently started investing in stocks.
2. あの会社の株価がどんどん上がっている。 That company's stock price keeps going up.
3. 株で大きな利益を得る人もいる。 Some people make big profits from stocks.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, investing, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Originally referred to a tree stump or root stock. The financial meaning developed from the idea of a root or base share in a business venture, similar to how English 'stock' originally meant a tree trunk.

Cultural Context

Era: Early Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal