椅子

• Reading: いす
• Romaji: isu
• Kanji breakdown: 椅 (i) — chair; 子 (shi/su/ko) — child, small thing
• Pronunciation: /i.sɯ/

Meaning

Chair; seat; stool; bench. Any piece of furniture designed for sitting.

Often written in hiragana (いす) or katakana (イス) in everyday contexts, as the kanji are not common-use. Essential classroom and daily life vocabulary. Common phrases: 椅子に座る (sit on a chair), 椅子を引く (pull out a chair), 椅子から立つ (stand up from a chair).

Examples

1. この椅子に座ってください。 Please sit in this chair.
2. 教室に椅子が三十あります。 There are thirty chairs in the classroom.
3. 新しい椅子はとても座りやすいです。 The new chair is very comfortable to sit in.

Usage Guide

Context: home, school, office

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 椅 combines 木 (tree/wood) with 奇 (unusual), originally referring to a particular type of wooden seat. 子 serves as a suffix meaning 'thing' or 'small object.'

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal