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本葬 (ほんそう, honsou) Japanese meaning: formal funeral | Kotomora

本ほん葬そう

ほ

ん

そ

う

Meanings

1

formal funeral; main funeral ceremony

Refers to the official, full-scale funeral service, as opposed to a private or simplified memorial gathering.

本ほん葬そうは来らい週しゅうの土ど曜よう日びに行おこなわれます。
The formal funeral will be held next Saturday.

Kanji

本book, present, main
葬interment, bury, shelve

Related words

密みっ葬そう
密葬 is a private, family-only funeral, while 本葬 is the official, public ceremony.
告こく別べつ式しき
告別式 is a farewell ceremony often held as part of the funeral, but 本葬 refers to the entire formal funeral service.

Etymology

Compound of 本 (main, formal) and 葬 (funeral). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of a formal funeral.