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盆
tray · basin · Obon festival
N1On: ぼん
Memory Aid
This kanji visually resembles a shallow `basin` or `tray`. The bottom part is 皿 (dish), suggesting a flat container. The top part could be seen as items resting on it or the rim of the basin.
'Bon' — sounds like 'Obon', which is the name of the traditional Japanese `Obon festival` for honoring ancestors. The festival often involves special offerings placed on a `tray`.
Vocabulary
お盆おぼんObon (Buddhist custom for ancestors)
盆地ぼんちbasin (geographical)
盆栽ぼんさいbonsai
盆踊りぼんおどりBon dance
Example Sentences
今年のお盆は実家に帰省します。
I'm going back to my parents' home this Obon.
お茶を盆に乗せて運びました。
I carried the tea on a tray.
その村は美しい盆地にあります。
That village is in a beautiful basin.
祖父は古い盆栽の手入れをしています。
My grandfather is tending to his old bonsai tree.