Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 泊

泊

Level:N2 Mid
Strokes:8
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji 泊 generally means to "stay overnight," "lodge," or "anchor" (for a boat). It conveys the idea of remaining in a place for a period of time, specifically for a night. This can apply to people, ships, or other things that are stationary for a while.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): * ハク (haku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): * とま(る) (toma(ru)) - to stay overnight; to lodge * とま(り) (toma(ri)) - lodging; overnight stay

Usage Examples

⚫︎一泊旅行 Translation: One-night trip; a trip lasting one night ⚫︎ホテルに泊まる Translation: To stay at a hotel ⚫︎船を港に泊める Translation: To anchor/moor a ship in the harbor

Origin and Formation

The kanji 泊 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The semantic component (meaning part) is 氵 (water, radical 85, 水, mizu). The phonetic component (sound part) is 白 (shiro, white). The original meaning was related to ships anchoring in a harbor. The presence of the water radical 氵 indicates its connection with water, while the 白 provided the sound. Over time, the meaning expanded to include the act of staying overnight in any place.

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