泡
bubbles, foam, suds, froth
Readings
On'yomi
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
- あわ
Meaning
泡 centers on small pockets of gas in liquid: bubbles, foam, suds, or froth. All meanings describe the same airy, transient formations.
Most common words using 泡
20 of 61- 泡あわN3
bubble; foam; froth; suds; lather; head (on beer)
- 発泡はっぽう
foaming
- 気泡きほう
(air) bubble (esp. in a liquid)
- 泡盛あわもり
awamori; strong Okinawan liquor distilled from rice or millet
- 泡沫うたかた
bubble on surface of liquid
- 発泡スチロールはっぽうスチロール
styrofoam; styrene foam; expanded polystyrene
- 水の泡みずのあわ
bubble on the surface of water
- 泡立つあわだつ
to bubble; to foam; to froth
- 水泡すいほう
foam; bubble
- 泡立ちあわだち
foaming; frothing; lathering
- 一泡ひとあわ
blow; shock
- 泡立てるあわだてる
to beat (e.g. eggs); to whip (e.g. cream); to whisk; to lather
- 一泡吹かせるひとあわふかせる
to give someone a surprise; to catch off guard and fluster; to frustrate (e.g. someone's plans); to give someone a blow; to scare the hell out of
- 卵泡立て器たまごあわだてき
egg beater
- 口角泡こうかくあわ
frothing at the mouth
- 口角泡を飛ばすこうかくあわをとばす
to engage in a heated discussion
- 夢幻泡影むげんほうよう
a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow (metaphor for the transience of life)
- 夢幻泡沫むげんほうまつ
transient; ephemeral; fleeting; evanescent
- 大泡立草おおあわだちそう
giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea var. leiophylla); late goldenrod
- 微発泡びはっぽう
slightly sparkling; slightly fizzy
Study
Etymology
泡 combines 氵 (water) with 包, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of something enveloping or forming a rounded shape, like bubbles in water.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 wraps around 包, like a bubble forming a round pocket. Picture soapy water creating clusters of bubbles.
Reading mnemonic
For ホウ, imagine blowing bubbles with a hollow reed: hollow -> ホウ, and the bubbles rise from the water.