ball, globe, sphere

JLPT N3 11 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Meaning and Usage

The character "" primarily means "ball" or "sphere" and is used to refer to any round object like sports balls (football, basketball) or celestial bodies (earth, planets).

Common Collocations

  • 足球 (zúqiú): soccer/football, a very common sport-related term.
  • 篮球 (lánqiú): basketball, another popular sport.
  • 地球 (dìqiú): the Earth, literally "ground ball".

Usage Notes

"" is often combined with other characters to specify the type of ball or sphere. It can refer to physical balls used in sports or metaphorically to planets and globes. When used in sports contexts, it usually implies the ball used in that sport. In scientific or geographical contexts, it refers to spherical celestial bodies.

Common Confusions

Do not confuse "" with "" (player) or "球场" (field), which include "" but refer to people or places related to the ball game rather than the ball itself.

Example Sentences

He likes playing soccer and goes to the field every weekend.

This basketball is heavy and suitable for adults to use.

The Earth is the planet we live on.