本棚

• Reading: ほんだな
• Romaji: hondana
• Kanji breakdown: 本 (hon/moto) — book, origin; 棚 (tana/dana) — shelf, rack
• Pronunciation: /ho.ɴ.da.na/

Meaning

Bookshelves; bookshelf; bookcase. A piece of furniture with shelves for storing books.

A compound noun combining 本 (book) and 棚 (shelf). A straightforward and intuitive word that demonstrates how Japanese creates compound nouns. The component 棚 (tana/dana) is also used in other compounds: 戸棚 (todana — cupboard), 食器棚 (shokkidana — dish cabinet). Note the voicing: tana becomes dana in compounds (rendaku).

Examples

1. 本棚に漫画がたくさんあります。 There are a lot of manga on the bookshelf.
2. 新しい本棚を買いました。 I bought a new bookshelf.
3. 本棚から辞書を取ってください。 Please get the dictionary from the bookshelf.

Usage Guide

Context: home, library, furniture

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A compound of 本 (book, originally 'root/origin' but used for bound objects) and 棚 (shelf, combining 木/tree with rows), creating a transparent compound meaning 'book shelf.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal