碑いしぶみ

also: ひ

い

し

ぶ

み

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

stone monument; inscribed stone; stele

Refers to a stone monument bearing an inscription, often erected as a memorial for future generations. The reading いしぶみ is standard; ひ appears in compounds or formal names.

公こう園えんに古ふるい碑いしぶみが立たっている。
An old stone monument stands in the park.
その碑いしぶみには戦せん没ぼつ者しゃの名な前まえが刻きざまれている。
The names of the war dead are inscribed on that monument.

Written forms

碑Usage72%
- いしぶみ
  Standard kanji spelling for a stone monument with an inscription. The reading いしぶみ is the most common.
- ひ
  Alternate reading ひ, used mainly in compounds or formal contexts.
ひUsage27%
いしぶみUsage1%
石いし文ぶみUsage<1%
Rare kanji spelling; 碑 is overwhelmingly preferred.

Kanji

碑tombstone, monument
石stone
文sentence, literature, style

Similar words

記き念ねん碑ひ
記念碑 is a general term for a commemorative monument, while 碑 (いしぶみ) specifically emphasizes a stone monument with an inscription, often of historical or memorial nature.
石せき碑ひ
石碑 is a broader term for any stone monument, whereas 碑 (いしぶみ) carries a nuance of an inscribed message or record for posterity.

Etymology

The kanji 碑 means 'stone monument' and is composed of 石 (stone) and 卑 (low, humble), originally referring to a stone tablet set up for commemoration. The reading いしぶみ is a native Japanese compound of 石 (stone) and 文 (writing, inscription), literally 'stone writing'. The reading ひ is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.