籠

• Reading: かご
• Romaji: kago
• Kanji breakdown: 籠 (kago/rou) — basket, cage, bamboo container
• Pronunciation: /ka.ɡo/

Meaning

Basket; cage. A woven container or an enclosure for animals.

A noun referring to woven containers made from bamboo, rattan, or wire, as well as cages for birds and small animals. Also written as かご in hiragana in casual contexts. Historically, 籠 also referred to the palanquin (駕籠) used for transportation in the Edo period. The word 鳥籠 (birdcage) remains common today.

Examples

1. 買い物かごに野菜を入れた。 I put vegetables in the shopping basket.
2. 鳥籠の中で小鳥が歌っている。 A little bird is singing inside the birdcage.
3. 洗濯物を籠に入れてください。 Please put the laundry in the basket.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, household, pets

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 籠 combines 竹 (bamboo) and 龍 (dragon, here phonetic). Originally referred to bamboo woven containers in classical Chinese, as bamboo was the primary material for baskets.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal