砲
cannon, gun
Readings
On'yomi
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
—
Nanori
- づつ
Meaning
砲 centers on large projectile weapons: cannons and guns. It refers to artillery pieces that launch heavy shot.
Most common words using 砲
20 of 136- 砲ほう
gun; cannon; artillery; ordnance
- 発砲はっぽう
firing; discharge of gun
- 大砲たいほうN1
(large) gun; cannon; artillery
- 砲撃ほうげき
bombarding; shelling; bombardment
- 鉄砲てっぽうN2
gun; firearm
- 砲火ほうか
gunfire; fire
- 主砲しゅほう
main battery; main armament
- 砲塔ほうとう
gun turret
- 砲弾ほうだん
shell; cannonball
- 砲台ほうだい
(gun) battery; fort
- 水鉄砲みずでっぽう
water pistol; squirt gun; water gun
- 砲兵ほうへい
artillery; gunner
- 空砲くうほう
empty gun; gun loaded with blanks; firing a blank
- 無鉄砲むてっぽう
rash; reckless; headlong; foolhardy
- 巨砲きょほう
huge gun
- 砲身ほうしん
gun barrel
- 鉄砲玉てっぽうだま
gunshot; bullet
- 砲手ほうしゅ
gunner
- 銃砲じゅうほう
guns; firearms
- 鉄砲水てっぽうみず
flash flood
Study
Etymology
砲 combines 石 (stone) with 包, which likely contributes the sound. Historically, early cannons used stone projectiles, so the stone radical fits the weapon meaning.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is stone 石, and the right side 包 looks like a wrapped bundle. Imagine a cannon wrapped around a stone ball, ready to fire.
Reading mnemonic
For ホウ, picture a cannon firing with a loud 'hou!' sound: the boom echoes ホウ as the stone ball flies out.