束

• Reading: たば
• Romaji: taba
• Kanji breakdown: 束 (soku/taba) — bundle, bunch, sheaf
• Pronunciation: /ta.ba/

Meaning

Bunch; bundle; sheaf. A group of items tied or gathered together.

A noun and counter used for groups of things bound together — flowers, letters, paper, keys, etc. As a counter (一束, hitotaba), it counts bundles. Also appears in compounds like 束縛 (sokubaku, restraint) and 約束 (yakusoku, promise), where the reading changes to そく.

Examples

1. 花束を買って母にプレゼントした。 I bought a bouquet of flowers as a present for my mother.
2. 机の上に手紙の束が置いてあった。 There was a bundle of letters sitting on the desk.
3. 一束の鍵を受け取った。 I received a bunch of keys.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, daily life, postal

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 束 is a pictograph of sticks tied together with a cord at the center. The original meaning of binding things together extended to the idea of a bundle or sheaf.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal