布（ぬの、nuno）
- cloth

The Japanese word 布, read as ぬの (nuno), primarily means "cloth," "fabric," or "material." It refers to a textile made by weaving, knitting, or otherwise assembling fibers. It can be used in a general sense to describe various types of textiles.

⚫︎ 新しい布 Translation: New cloth ⚫︎ 布でできた服 Translation: Clothes made of cloth ⚫︎ テーブルの上の布 Translation: The cloth on the table

You use 布 when you are referring to cloth or fabric in general, such as when describing the material of a garment, a tablecloth, or a piece of material used for sewing. It is a common and versatile word.

布 is typically written with the kanji 布. The hiragana reading is ぬの. There are no significant variations in okurigana for this word.

There are some words that can have a similar meaning, although the nuance can be different: ⚫︎ 生地（きじ - kiji): Fabric, material (often referring to fabric used for sewing) ⚫︎ 織物（おりもの - orimono): Woven fabric ⚫︎ 繊維（せんい - sen'i): Fiber ⚫︎ クロス（kurosu): Cloth (borrowed from English, often used for specific purposes, like cleaning)

There are no direct antonyms for 布 itself. It is a material, and the opposite of having something made of cloth would be having something made of a different material (e.g., metal, plastic, paper, etc.).

このドレスは美しい布で作られています。 ・Translation: This dress is made of beautiful cloth. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 布 to describe the material the dress is made from.

彼女は古い布でバッグを作った。 ・Translation: She made a bag out of old cloth. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the use of 布 to create something else.

The kanji 布 itself has a long history, originating from China. It depicts a piece of cloth. The word's etymology traces back to the ancient practice of weaving and the fundamental role cloth played in daily life. The word ぬの (nuno) developed over time to refer to the material as a whole.