あぐら

あ

ぐ

ら

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

sitting cross-legged

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the sitting posture with legs crossed in front, common in informal settings. Often used in the phrase あぐらをかく.

Written forms

あぐらUsage79%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare or archaic.
胡座あぐらUsage16%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Variant kanji form; rarely seen.
アグラUsage5%
胡坐あぐら
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Historically common kanji form, but now rarely used.
胡床あぐら
rarely-used kanji formgikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Archaic kanji form; not used in modern Japanese.
趺坐あぐら
rarely-used kanji formgikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Archaic kanji form; not used in modern Japanese.

Kanji

胡barbarian, foreign
坐sit
座squat, seat, cushion
床

Similar words

正せい座ざ
正座 is the formal kneeling posture, while あぐら is the informal cross-legged sitting.

Etymology

The reading あぐら is a jukujikun (special kanji reading) for the kanji 胡坐, which originally referred to a foreign (胡) sitting style (坐). The exact derivation of the reading is uncertain.

bed, counter for beds, floor

趺foot, calyx, sitting in the lotus position