お盆ぼん

お

ぼ

ん

JLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

A Buddhist festival to honor ancestral spirits, typically observed in mid-August (or mid-July in some regions). Often involves visiting family graves and traditional dances.

お盆ぼんには家か族ぞくみんなで墓はか参まいりに行いきます

。

During Obon, the whole family goes to visit the grave.

今年ことしのお盆ぼんは8月がつ13日にちから16日にちまでです。

This year's Obon is from August 13th to 16th.

2

noun

tray

polite (teineigo)

Polite form of 盆 (ぼん). Used when referring to a tray in a respectful or formal context.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉にお盆ぼんに帰かえるto return to (a place) during the Obon holiday
お盆ぼんに実じっ家かに帰かえる予よ定ていです。
I'm planning to go back to my parents' home during Obon.
お盆ぼんに〈物もの〉を乗のせるto put something on a tray
お盆ぼんにお茶ちゃを乗のせて持もってきた。
I brought the tea on a tray.
お盆ぼんに墓はか参まいりをするto visit the family grave during Obon
お盆ぼんにはお墓はか参まいりをする人ひとが多おおい。
Many people visit their family graves during Obon.
お盆ぼんで〈物もの〉を運はこぶto carry something on a tray
料りょう理りをお盆ぼんで運はこぶ。
I carry the dishes on a tray.

Kanji

盆basin, lantern festival, tray

Related words

盂う蘭ら盆ぼん sense 1
盂蘭盆 is the formal Buddhist term for the same festival that お盆 refers to in everyday speech.
トレーN2sense 2
トレー is a modern, casual loanword for a tray, while お盆 is the traditional Japanese word often used for trays in tea ceremonies or restaurants.

Politeness

盆ぼんplainN2
盆 is the plain, everyday word for both the tray and the Bon Festival, while お盆 is the more polite or commonly used form, especially for the festival.

Don't confuse with

膳ぜんN1
お盆 is a flat tray without legs used to carry dishes, whereas 膳 is a legged individual tray or table for serving a meal.

Word family

お盆ぼん玉だま
Bon holiday gift money
お盆ぼん明あけ
just after Obon; the period immediately after Obon

Written forms

お盆ぼん
Standard spelling for both the festival and the tray.
おぼんUsage100%

Etymology

The prefix お (honorific) + 盆 (ぼん, 'tray' or 'Bon Festival'). The festival name derives from the Buddhist Ullambana (Sanskrit) via Chinese.