灯とう台だい

と

う

だ

い

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

lighthouse

A tower or building with a bright light to guide ships at sea.

岬みさきの先さきに白しろい灯とう台だいが立たっている。

A white lighthouse stands at the tip of the cape.

2

noun

old-fashioned oil lamp stand

Historical interior light fixture: a wooden pole with an oil dish and wick on top. Not a modern lamp.

時じ代だい劇げきのセットに古ふるい灯とう台だいが置おかれていた。
An old-fashioned oil lamp stand was placed on the period-drama set.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に灯とう台だいが立たつfor a lighthouse to stand at a place
その岬みさきには古ふるい灯とう台だいが立たっている。
There is an old lighthouse standing on that cape.
灯とう台だいの光ひかりthe beam/light of a lighthouse
遠とおくに灯とう台だいの光ひかりが見みえた。
We could see the lighthouse's light in the distance.

Expressions

灯とう台だい下もと暗くらしit is darkest under the lamp post; you can't see what's right under your nose

Kanji

灯lamp, a light, light
台pedestal, a stand, counter for machines and vehicles
燈lamp, light, counter for lights

Don't confuse with

東とう大だい sense 1
灯台 (とうだい) means 'lighthouse' while 東大 (とうだい) is the common abbreviation for Tokyo University, and they are perfect homophones learners often mix up in listening.

Counted with

基き
基 counts 灯台 (lighthouses) as fixed, installed structures.

Word family

灯とう台だい守もり
lighthouse keeper
灯とう台だい草ぐさ
sun spurge; wartweed
高たか灯とう台だい
tall candlestick; tall lamp stand
航

Written forms

灯とう台だいUsage86%
Standard modern spelling.
燈とう台だいUsage9%
out-dated kanji form
Old-form kanji spelling; 燈 is the kyūjitai of 灯.
とうだいUsage3%
トウダイUsage2%

Etymology

Compound of 灯 (tō, 'light') + 台 (dai, 'stand, platform'). The 'lighthouse' sense is a modern extension; the older sense referred to an indoor lamp stand.

こう

空くう

灯とう

台だい

aeronautical beacon; airway beacon