noun
General word for a place to sleep, including futon spread on the floor. Often used in compounds like 床につく (go to bed).
もう遅いから、床につこう。
It's late, so let's go to bed.
彼は疲れて床に倒れ込んだ。
He was so tired he collapsed onto his bed.
noun
Specifically a bed for someone who is ill. Common in expressions like 床に就く (be confined to bed).
祖母は風邪で床に就いている。
My grandmother is in bed with a cold.
noun
Abbreviation of 床の間 (tokonoma), the decorative alcove in a traditional Japanese room. Used mainly in architectural or interior design contexts.
See also: 床の間
この部屋の床には掛け軸が飾ってある。
A hanging scroll is displayed in the alcove of this room.
noun
The bottom of a river. Often used in compound words like 川床 (かわどこ) or in geographical descriptions.
大雨で川の床が深くえぐられた。
The riverbed was deeply gouged by the heavy rain.
noun
straw core of a tatami mat
The inner straw layer of a tatami mat. A specialized term used in traditional flooring and construction.
畳の床が傷んでいたので交換した。
The tatami core was damaged, so we replaced it.
noun
Same meaning as 床 (ゆか), but read とこ. This reading is less common for 'floor' and may appear in certain dialects or older texts.
See also: 床 (ゆか)
古い家では、床がきしむ音がした。
In the old house, the floor creaked.
ゆか is the standard reading for 'floor' in modern Japanese. とこ for 'floor' is rare and mostly archaic or dialectal.
寝床 specifically means 'sleeping place' or 'bed', while 床 (とこ) alone can also mean 'bed' but is broader.
床の間 is the full word for the alcove; 床 (とこ) is its abbreviation.
The kanji 床 originally depicts a wooden bed or platform. The reading とこ is native Japanese, with cognates meaning 'place' or 'spot' in Old Japanese. The various senses (bed, floor, riverbed, etc.) all derive from the core idea of a flat surface or base.