斧（おの、ono）
- axe

The Japanese word 斧 （おの, *ono*） means "axe" or "hatchet." It refers to a tool with a heavy, sharp blade attached to a handle, used primarily for chopping wood, felling trees, or splitting logs. The word describes both the tool itself and, sometimes, the action of using it.

⚫︎木を斧で切る。 Translation: To cut a tree with an axe. ⚫︎斧を研ぐ。 Translation: To sharpen the axe. ⚫︎その大工は斧を巧みに使った。 Translation: That carpenter used the axe skillfully.

This word is used in various contexts. ⚫︎ It can be used in everyday conversation when talking about woodworking, forestry, or related activities. ⚫︎ It also appears in historical contexts, literature, and even in metaphorical expressions. ⚫︎ When describing the tool itself or the action of using it, you can use 斧.

⚫︎The word 斧 is most commonly written using the kanji 斧. ⚫︎The reading is おの (*ono*) in hiragana. ⚫︎There is no common katakana version. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) is not typically used.

There are no perfect synonyms for 斧 in Japanese that directly refer to the tool itself, but related words include: ⚫︎手斧 （ちょうな *chouna*）: adze (a type of cutting tool) ⚫︎まさかり (*masakari*): a traditional Japanese axe. ⚫︎刃物 （はもの *hamono*）：blade / cutting tool (broader category)

⚫︎There are no direct antonyms for the tool itself, but words representing other tools used for similar purposes might be considered indirect opposites: ⚫︎鋸 （のこぎり *nokogiri*）: saw.

彼は斧を使って丸太を割った。 ・Translation: He split the log using an axe. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates the use of 斧 to describe the action of splitting a log with the tool.

この斧は古いが、まだよく切れる。 ・Translation: This axe is old, but it still cuts well. ・Explanation: This example describes the condition of the axe.

The etymology of 斧 isn't definitively known. However, it's considered a native Japanese word (Yamato kotoba).