串（くし、kushi）
- skewer

The Japanese word 串, read as くし (kushi), primarily refers to a skewer, or a stick used for holding or cooking food. It can also figuratively refer to things that are strung together or lined up. The meaning depends heavily on the context in which it's used. It can refer to the act of skewering, the result of skewering, or even the type of food that's skewered.

⚫︎焼き鳥を串に刺す。 Translation: To put yakitori on skewers. ⚫︎お祭りでは、色々な食べ物が串に刺して売られている。 Translation: At festivals, various foods are sold on skewers. ⚫︎串カツは美味しいね！ Translation: Kushi-katsu (deep-fried skewers) are delicious!

This word is commonly used in everyday conversation, especially when talking about food, particularly grilled food, or anything that is presented on a skewer. It's a very practical word, used for ordering food, describing cooking methods, or just chatting about meals. It is important to note that the way in which 串 is used can vary depending on context, for example, 串 may be used as a verb such as "to skewer" and may even be included in the name of the food being cooked such as, "串カツ"

The word is most often written as 串 in Kanji. The reading is くし in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. Okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is not applicable in the most common usage.

⚫︎ 刺し棒 (sashibou) - Skewering stick, or more specifically, the stick used for skewering. ⚫︎ 串焼き (kushiyaki) - Skewered and grilled food (used as a noun). ⚫︎ 竹串 (takegushi) - Bamboo skewer.

There are no direct antonyms for the word 串 because the word describes a tool or a process. However, you could consider words related to un-skewered food or the opposite of a related action.

友達とバーベキューをして、野菜と肉を串に刺して焼いた。 ・Translation: I had a barbecue with my friends and put vegetables and meat on skewers and grilled them. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 串 to describe the act of putting ingredients onto a skewer as part of a barbecue.

串カツ屋で、色んな種類の串揚げを食べました。 ・Translation: I ate many kinds of deep-fried skewers at a kushikatsu restaurant. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 串 to describe the type of food, 串カツ (kushikatsu), which is deep-fried food on skewers.

The etymology of 串 is related to its function: to string things together. It is an ancient word with roots in how food was prepared. The character itself depicts the action of threading or linking together.