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bureau

HSK 4 N2
キョク
つぼね
Phonosemantic compound. 尸 represents the meaning and 句 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bent, curved". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
Components
Meaning component
shī sitting person
person representing the dead (during burial ceremonies)
Depicts a person bending over.
Phonetic component
sentence
View phonetic series →
Notes
Historical Evolution
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Regular
Modern
Chinese
[jú]
office; situation; classifier for games: match, set, round etc
Japanese
きょく 同音

noun

  1. bureau; department
  2. abbrev. office (e.g. post, telephone); broadcasting station (e.g. television, radio); channel; exchange
  3. affair; situation
  4. game (of go, shogi, etc.)
つぼね 同音

noun

  1. historical court lady (Heian period); lady-in-waiting
  2. historical separate room in a palace (esp. for a lady; Heian period)
  3. archaic room for a very low class prostitute
  4. archaic very low class prostitute
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
つぼね
Tsubone female given namesurname