noun
A container with a narrow opening, used for liquids, food, or decoration.
祖母の家には古い壺が飾ってある。
An old vase is displayed at my grandmother's house.
この壺に梅酒を漬けている。
I'm making plum wine in this jar.
noun
dice cup
A cup used to shake and throw dice, especially in traditional games.
博打打ちが壺を振ってサイコロを転がした。
The gambler shook the dice cup and rolled the dice.
noun
A hollow or basin-shaped natural feature, especially at the base of a waterfall. Often used in compounds like 滝壺.
See also: 滝壺
滝壺の水はとても冷たかった。
The water in the waterfall basin was very cold.
noun
Figurative use: what one is aiming for, the crucial part of a matter, or the heart of a conversation. Often appears in phrases like 思うつぼ (just as one planned) and つぼにはまる (hit the mark).
See also: 思うつぼ
彼の冗談がつぼにはまって、みんな大笑いした。
His joke hit the mark and everyone burst out laughing.
相手の思うつぼだ。
That's exactly what the opponent wanted.
noun
acupuncture point; pressure point
A specific point on the body used in acupuncture, moxibustion, or shiatsu. Often written in katakana as ツボ.
肩のツボを押すと気持ちいい。
Pressing the pressure point on my shoulder feels good.
noun
position on the fingerboard
On a shamisen, koto, or similar instrument, a marked position where a string is pressed to produce a specific pitch. Often written as ツボ.
三味線のツボを正確に押さえるのは難しい。
It's difficult to press the shamisen's fingerboard positions accurately.
noun
Archaic term for a target in archery. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical contexts.
古い文献では、弓の的を「壺」と記すことがある。
In old documents, the target for a bow is sometimes written as 壺.
Variant kanji form; less common but still used.
The origin is uncertain, but the word has been used since Old Japanese for a container with a narrow opening. The extended figurative senses developed from the idea of a 'hollow' or 'focused point'.