枕 means “pillow”

まくら · makura

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まくら

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

チン, シン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

Wood (木) beside the right side of 沈, to sink: picture a head sinking onto a wooden pillow, the kind once used to keep elaborate hairstyles in place. 枕 is a pillow, and in rakugo the まくら is the light chat that eases the audience into the story.

Used in 枕 (makura, pillow), 枕元 (makuramoto, bedside), and 枕詞 (makurakotoba, pillow word in classical poetry)

More from Around the House

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• 椅 chair
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• 柵 fence
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• 房 room
• 敷 spread
• 堀 moat
• 垣 hedge
• 棚 shelf
• 槽 tank

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.