邦
home country, country, Japan
Readings
On'yomi
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
- くに
Meaning
邦 centers on the idea of one's own country or homeland, often with a sense of national identity. The meaning 'Japan' is a specific application of this broader concept.
Most common words using 邦
20 of 109- 連邦れんぽうN1
federation (of states); confederation; commonwealth; union
- 邦楽ほうがく
Japanese music (esp. traditional Japanese music)
- 邦画ほうが
Japanese film
- 東邦とうほう
Oriental country; the Orient
- 邦人ほうじんN1
Japanese national (esp. abroad)
- 邦題ほうだい
Japanese title (given to foreign work)
- 本邦ほんぽう
this country; our country
- 邦訳ほうやく
translation into Japanese
- 異邦いほう
foreign country
- ソ連邦ソれんぽう
Soviet Union; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; USSR
- 東邦大学とうほうだいがく
Toho University
- 異邦人いほうじん
foreigner
- 友邦ゆうほう
friendly nation
- 邦字ほうじ
Japanese characters; kanji and kana
- アメリカ連邦捜査局アメリカれんぽうそうさきょく
Federal Bureau of Investigation (USA); FBI
- アメリカ連邦議会アメリカれんぽうぎかい
US Congress
- アラブ共和国連邦アラブきょうわこくれんぽう
Federation of Arab Republics
- アラブ首長国連邦アラブしゅちょうこくれんぽう
United Arab Emirates; UAE
- イギリス連邦イギリスれんぽう
Commonwealth of Nations (formerly British Commonwealth)
- エチオピア連邦民主共和国エチオピアれんぽうみんしゅきょうわこく
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Study
Etymology
邦 combines 丰 (a stylized plant or boundary marker) with ⻏ (village or region), suggesting a defined territory or country. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component combination is consistent with the meaning of a homeland.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 丰 looks like a flag or marker planted in the ground, and the right side ⻏ represents a village or region. Together, they form a marked territory: your home country.
Reading mnemonic
For ホウ, imagine a home country where everyone says 'Ho!' as a greeting: Ho -> ホウ, and the flag marks the land where people greet you with 'Ho!'