床
Meanings
General word for a place to sleep, including futon spread on the floor. Often used in compounds like 床につく (go to bed).
It's late, so let's go to bed.
He was so tired he collapsed onto his bed.
Specifically a bed for someone who is ill. Common in expressions like 床に就く (be confined to bed).
My grandmother is in bed with a cold.
Abbreviation of 床の間 (tokonoma), the decorative alcove in a traditional Japanese room. Used mainly in architectural or interior design contexts.
See also: 床の間
A hanging scroll is displayed in the alcove of this room.
The bottom of a river. Often used in compound words like 川床 (かわどこ) or in geographical descriptions.
The riverbed was deeply gouged by the heavy rain.
A bed of soil for sowing seeds. Used in agricultural contexts; also metaphorical for a place where something develops.
Sow seeds in the seedbed.
straw core of a tatami mat
The inner straw layer of a tatami mat. A specialized term used in traditional flooring and construction.
The tatami core was damaged, so we replaced it.
Same meaning as 床 (ゆか), but read とこ. This reading is less common for 'floor' and may appear in certain dialects or older texts.
See also: 床 (ゆか)
In the old house, the floor creaked.
Usage patterns
- 床を敷くto lay out bedding (make up a bed)
I laid out the bedding for the guest in advance.
- 床に伏すto lie ill in bed
My grandfather lay ill in bed for a long time.
- 床に花を生けるto arrange flowers in the alcove
I arranged seasonal flowers in the alcove.
- 床を出るto get out of bed
He gets out of bed at six every morning.