塔
pagoda, tower, steeple
Readings
On'yomi
- トウ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
塔 centers on a tall, multi-tiered structure: a pagoda, tower, or steeple. These all share the idea of a vertical, often religious or monumental building.
Most common words using 塔
20 of 75- 塔とうN3
tower; steeple; spire
- 砲塔ほうとう
gun turret
- エッフェル塔エッフェルとう
Eiffel Tower
- 広告塔こうこくとう
billboard; advertising tower
- 鉄塔てっとう
steel tower
- 司令塔しれいとう
control tower; conning tower
- 金字塔きんじとう
pyramid
- 管制塔かんせいとう
control tower
- 尖塔せんとう
spire; steeple; pinnacle; minaret
- バベルの塔バベルのとう
Tower of Babel
- テレビ塔テレビとう
TV tower
- 五重の塔ごじゅうのとう
five-storied pagoda
- 巨塔きょとう
tall tower; large tower
- 塔子ターツ
chow missing one tile
- 石塔せきとう
stone tower; stone pagoda
- 仏塔ぶっとう
stupa; pagoda
- 塔頭たっちゅう
small Zen temple built to commemorate the death of a high priest
- 卒塔婆そとば
stupa; dagoba
- 宝塔ほうとう
two-storied Buddhist tower
- 塔婆とうば
stupa; pagoda
Study
Etymology
塔 combines 土 (earth, ground) with 荅, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a Buddhist pagoda or stupa, a tall earthen structure.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 土 is earth or ground, and the right side 荅 looks like a plant growing upward with a roof on top. Picture a tall earthen tower rising from the ground like a plant, with a pointed roof like a pagoda.
Reading mnemonic
For トウ, imagine a tall tower casting a long shadow at two o'clock: two -> トウ, and the tower stands tall on the earth.