囲い
Meanings
A physical barrier or enclosed space, such as a fence, wall, or pen for animals.
We built a wooden fence around the garden.
We put the sheep into the pen.
storage (of fruit, vegetables, etc.)
Refers to the practice of storing produce, often in a pit or covered area, to preserve it. Less common in modern everyday speech.
In the past, people stored vegetables in a storage pit to keep them through the winter.
partitioned area for tea ceremony
A small, partitioned-off space within a room used for conducting the Japanese tea ceremony.
We prepare tea inside the partitioned tea-ceremony area.
Abbreviation of 囲い者 (かこいもの), a kept mistress. Archaic and rarely used in modern Japanese.
See also: 囲い者
囲い is short for 囲い者, an old-fashioned term for a mistress.
castle (shogi); strong defensive position
In shogi, a defensive formation where pieces protect the king. Also used figuratively for any strong defensive setup.
In shogi, the Mino castle is a well-known defensive formation.
Usage patterns
- 〈場所〉に囲いをするto put up a fence/enclosure around a place
I put a fence around the garden.
- 囲いを組むto set up a defensive formation (in shogi)
He sets up the Yagura castle formation.
- 〈物〉のために囲いを作るto build a pen/enclosure for (an animal, etc.)
We built a pen for the cattle.
- 囲いが堅いthe defensive formation is solid (in shogi)
This shogi player's castle formation is very solid.