Usage patterns 布ふ 団とん に 入はい る to get into bed (under the futon)
I got sleepy, so I got into bed.
布ふ 団とん から 出で る to get out of bed
It's cold, so I don't want to get out of bed.
布ふ 団とん を 干ほ す to air out a futon (in the sun)
I aired out the futon on a sunny day.
布ふ 団とん をかける to cover someone with a futon/quilt
I covered the child with a futon.
布ふ 団とん をたたむ to fold up a futon
I fold up my futon as soon as I get up.
Expressions 布ふ 団とん を 敷し く lay out a futon; make a bed (Japanese-style) 墓はか に 布ふ 団とん は 着き せられぬ you can't put a futon on a grave; it's too late to show filial piety after your parents are dead Related words· 8 布団 refers to a full Japanese bedding set (mattress and duvet), while 毛布 is just the blanket often used together with 布団 .
ベッド is a raised Western-style bed, while 布団 is traditional Japanese bedding laid directly on the floor.
布団 refers specifically to the futon bedding itself, while 寝床 is the general term for the whole sleeping spot or bed, which may include a futon.
布団 refers specifically to traditional Japanese futon mattresses and quilts, while 寝具 is the broader category covering all bedding items.
Show 4 more Show fewer 布団 refers specifically to the Japanese futon mattress and quilt, whereas 夜具 is a broader term covering all kinds of bedding.
布団 is the general word for Japanese bedding and can mean either piece or the whole set, while 敷き布団 specifically names the bottom mattress.
布団 refers to traditional Japanese bedding laid directly on the floor, whereas 寝台 is a raised bed frame.
布団 is the concrete futon/bedding material itself, whereas 床 refers more abstractly to the bed or sleeping place, often the spot where the 布団 is laid out.
Don't confuse with 座布団 is a flat cushion for sitting on the floor, while 布団 refers to bedding used for sleeping.
敷き布団 is specifically the mattress-like pad laid on the floor, whereas 布団 can mean the whole bedding set or either piece.
掛け布団 is specifically the quilt or duvet placed over the sleeper, whereas 布団 more broadly covers the whole bedding set.
布団 is the traditional Japanese bedding laid directly on tatami, while マットレス is a thicker Western-style mattress (or a thin pad placed under a 布団 ), so learners sometimes use the two interchangeably.
Counted with Used for 布団 (futon) when counting a full bedding set, e.g. 布団一組 (one set of bedding).
For thin, flat things — sheets, plates, boards, and unstructured garments like shirts.
Counts matched sets — tableware, tools, bedding, clothing.
Word family· 17 zabuton; floor cushion
duvet; quilt; comforter; top futon
Japanese mattress; futon (laid on the floor); underquilt; sleeping mat
summer bedding; summer futon
thinner futon placed against the skin
Show 8 more Show fewer waist cushion; cushion worn around the waist for warmth
straw futon; straw mattress; palliasse
waiting wrestler's sitting cushion
gabion; stone-filled cage
drying a futon outside
futon steaming; burying someone under a futon
waiting wrestler's sitting cushion
down quilt; feather futon
See all 17 in Explore →
Written forms 布ふ 団とん Usage 75%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Standard modern spelling. This kanji spelling is ateji, i.e. used mainly for its reading rather than a transparent original character meaning.
蒲ふ 団とん Usage 12%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it may appear in older writing, titles, or contexts emphasizing the older cushion-related sense.
ふとん Usage 11%
Kana spelling is practical in everyday writing, labels, advertising, and learner- or child-facing contexts, though the kanji 布団 is the standard dictionary form.
フトン Usage 2%
Etymology 布団 is ateji, a phonetic kanji spelling for ふとん . The rare spelling 蒲団 is associated with older cushion-related usage; the exact historical development is not specified.
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