Japanese word

竹

Pronunciation

Romajitake

Meaning

  • nounbamboo

Example

竹でかごを作ります。take de ka go o tsuku ri ma su

I make baskets from bamboo.

Illustration for 竹 (bamboo)

More examples

庭の隅に竹を植えています。niwa no sumi ni take o u e te i ma su

We are planting bamboo in the corner of the garden.

Core concept

It refers to a tall grass whose jointed, hollow stems serve as both a living plant and a useful material.

Common phrases

  • 竹を切るtake o ki ru

    cut bamboo

  • 竹を割るtake o ware ru

    split bamboo

  • 竹で作るtake de tsuku ru

    make from bamboo

Similar words

バンブーbanbū: A loanword for bamboo that often appears in product names and design descriptions.

Definition in Japanese

細長く中空で節のある茎をもつイネ科の植物で、その茎や若芽を利用するもの。hoso naga ku naka zora de fushi no a ru kuki o mo tsu i ne ka no shoku butsu de so no kuki ya waka me o ri yō su ru mo no

Word origin

竹 (take, "bamboo") is the Chinese character used to write the native Japanese noun たけ (take, "bamboo"), whose deeper origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • English uses bamboo as an uncountable material noun in phrases such as bamboo flooring, while a bamboo plant is countable.

Related words

  • 竹製takeseibamboo-madenoun

Word lists with this word