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Definition 2024

盆

Translingual

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 盆
Bronze inscriptions	Large seal script	Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (分) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
扮	prɯːns, hmroːlʔ, pɯn, pɯnʔ
盼	*pʰrɯːns
頒	praːn, bɯn
朌	praːn, bɯn
鳻	praːn, bɯn
份	prɯn, bɯns
汃	pʰreːd, prɯn
玢	*prɯn
邠	*prɯn
攽	*prɯn
砏	prɯn, pʰrɯn, *pʰɯn
貧	*brɯn
湓	pʰɯːns, bɯːn, *pʰɯns
盆	*bɯːn
葐	bɯːn, bɯn, *bɯn
坌	bɯːns, bɯnʔ, *bɯns
坋	bɯːns, bɯnʔ, *bɯns
分	pɯn, bɯns
吩	*pɯn
粉	*pɯnʔ
黺	*pɯnʔ
芬	*pʰɯn
紛	*pʰɯn
衯	*pʰɯn
棻	pʰɯn, bɯn
氛	pʰɯn, bɯn
雰	*pʰɯn
忿	pʰɯnʔ, pʰɯns, *bɯnʔ
魵	pʰɯnʔ, pʰɯns, bɯn, bɯnʔ
汾	*bɯn
羒	*bɯn
枌	*bɯn
棼	*bɯn
妢	*bɯn
梤	*bɯn
馚	*bɯn
鼢	bɯn, bɯnʔ
蚡	bɯn, bɯnʔ
弅	*bɯnʔ
秎	*bɯns

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *bɯːn) : phonetic 分 ‎(OC *pɯn, *bɯns) + semantic 皿.

Han character

盆 (radical 108 皿+4, 9 strokes, cangjie input 金尸竹廿 (CSHT), four-corner 8010₇, composition ⿱分皿)

basin, tub, pot, bowl

References

KangXi: page 793, character 5

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 22959

Dae Jaweon: page 1208, character 7

Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 4, page 2558, character 7

Unihan data for U+76C6

Chinese

simp. and trad.		盆

一個破爛的塑料盆／一个破烂的塑料盆

Pronunciation

Mandarin

(Pinyin): pén (pen²)

(Zhuyin): ㄆㄣˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): pun⁴
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): phùn
Min Nan (POJ): phûn

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Beijing)⁺
  - Pinyin: pén
  - Zhuyin: ㄆㄣˊ
  - Wade-Giles: p'ên²
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: penr
  - IPA ^(key): /pʰən³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: pun⁴
  - Yale: pùhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: pun⁴
  - IPA ^(key): /pʰuːn²¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: phùn
  - Hakka Romanization System: punˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: pun²
  - IPA: /pʰun¹¹/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phûn
  - Tâi-lô: phûn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phuun
  - IPA (Xiamen): /pʰun²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰun²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /pʰun¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /pʰun²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰun²³/

Middle Chinese: /buən/▼

Rime
Character	盆
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	魂 (55)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	蒲奔切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/buən/
Pan Wuyun	/buon/
Shao Rongfen	/buən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bwən/
Li Rong	/buən/
Wang Li	/buən/
Bernard Karlgren	/bʱuən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	pén

Old Chinese▼

(Baxter-Sagart): /*[b]ˤə[n]/

(Zhengzhang): /*bɯːn/

Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	盆
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	pén
Middle Chinese	‹ bwon ›
Old Chinese	/*[b]ˤə[n]/
English	bowl, basin
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter-Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	盆
Reading #	1/1
No.	3144
Phonetic component	分
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	盆
Old Chinese	/*bɯːn/

Noun

盆

large basin, tub (Classifier: 個／个 m)
pot
unit of volume equal to 12 斗 (dǒu) and 8 升 (shēng) (128 liters)

Compounds

臉盆／脸盆 (liǎnpén)
盥洗盆 (guànxǐpén)

Classifier

盆

Measure word for basins of things.
一大盆水 ― yī dà pén shuǐ ― a large basin of water

References

盆 in CEDICT on MDBG

Japanese

Kanji

盆

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

Goon: ぼん (bon)
Kan’on: ほん (hon) (non-Jōyō reading)
Kun: はち (hachi)

Etymology 1

盆 (bon): a tray.

Kanji in this term
盆
ぼん Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 盆 ‎(bwon). Compare modern Mandarin 盆 ‎(pén).

Pronunciation

On'yomi
(Tokyo) ぼん [bòń] (Heiban - [0])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [bõ̞ɴ]

Noun

盆 ‎(hiragana ぼん, romaji bon)

a tray (for carrying e.g. dishes)
(archaic) a flat earthenware pot, bowl, or basin
short for 盆茣蓙 (ぼんござ) ‎(bon goza), a woven rush mat for rolling or throwing dice in gambling
a gambling den, a place where gambling happens
a gamble, a match, a contest
a household, a residence, a home (by extension from the sense of having one's own serving tray)
a place for a tryst
the circular area of a 回り舞台 ‎(mawari butai, “revolving stage”) (from its resemblance to a round serving tray)

Derived terms

盆 (ぼん)の窪 (くぼ) ‎(bon no kubo): the hollow of the nape of the neck
盆栽 (ぼんさい) ‎(bonsai): bonsai

Idioms

覆水盆 (ふくすいぼん)に返 (かえ)らず ‎(fukusui bon ni kaerazu): “spilt water does not return to the basin” → some things cannot be undone
盆 (ぼん)を覆 (くつがえ)す ‎(bon o kutsugaesu): “to knock over the pots” → said of heavy rain; compare raining pitchforks and hammer handles, raining cats and dogs
盆 (ぼん)を傾 (かたむ)ける ‎(bon o katamukeru): “to make the pots lean over” → said of heavy rain; compare raining pitchforks and hammer handles, raining cats and dogs
盆 (ぼん)に載 (の)せたる蟇 (ひきがえる) ‎(bon ni nosetaru hikigaeru): “a toad placed on a tray” → a metaphor for being at a loss and unable to proceed, much as a toad on a tray will slip about and be unable to get traction
塗 (ぬ)り盆 (ぼん)に載 (の)せた蛙 (かえる) ‎(nuribon ni noseta kaeru): “a frog placed on a lacquered tray” → a metaphor for being at a loss and unable to proceed, much as a frog on a lacquered tray will slip about and be unable to get traction
塗 (ぬ)り盆 (ぼん)へ載 (の)せた蟇蛙 (ひきがえる) ‎(nuribon e noseta hikigaeru): “a toad placed on a lacquered tray” → a metaphor for being at a loss and unable to proceed, much as a toad on a lacquered tray will slip about and be unable to get traction
盆 (ぼん)を敷 (し)く ‎(bon o shiku): “to lay the mats” → to start gambling; to establish one's own household
盆 (ぼん)をひく ‎(bon o hiku): “to lay the mats” → to start gambling; to establish one's own household
盆 (ぼん)を戴 (いただ)きて天 (てん)を望 (のぞ)む ‎(bon o itadakite ten o nozomu): “to look at the sky with a pot [or tray] on one's head” → a metaphor for two things that cannot be done at the same time, much as carrying a pot or tray on one's head would prevent one from looking up

Synonyms

(tray): トレイ ‎(torei), トレー ‎(torē), お盆 (ぼん) ‎(obon)
(pot): 鉢 (はち) ‎(hachi), 平瓮 (ひらか, hiraka)
(dice mat): 盆 (ぼん)ござ ‎(bon goza)
(gamling den): 賭場 (とば) ‎(toba)
(a gamble): 博打 (ばくち) ‎(bakuchi)
(a contest): 勝負 (しょうぶ) ‎(shōbu)
(household): 家 (いえ) ‎(ie); 宿 (やど) ‎(yado); 住処 (すみか) ‎(sumika), 住家 (すみか) ‎(sumika)

Etymology 2

盆: Obon. Lighting the welcome beacons in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Kanji in this term
盆
ぼん Grade: S
on'yomi

Short for 盂蘭盆 ‎(Urabon) or 盂蘭盆会 ‎(Urabon'e), from Middle Chinese 盂蘭盆 ‎(hju lan bwon) or 盂蘭盆會 ‎(hju lan bwon hwaj^H) (compare modern Mandarin 盂蘭盆／盂兰盆 (yúlánpén) or 盂蘭盆會／盂兰盆会 (yúlánpénhuì)), a transcription of Pali उल्लुम्पन ‎(ullumpana, “raising, helping”), noun inflection of Pali verb उल्लुम्पयति ‎(ullumpayati, “to raise up, to help”).

A number of Japanese dictionaries state that this term derives from Sanskrit उल्लम्बन ‎(ullambana), purportedly meaning “hanging upside-down” in reference to the souls of the dead being tortured in **** by being strung up by their feet.^[3]^[1]^[4]^[5] However, the Sanskrit word would be the noun inflection of verb उल्लम्बयति ‎(ullambayati, “to hang something up”), with no inherent “upside-down” meaning. Moreover, the purported Sanskrit term's meaning of “hanging upside-down” does not match very well, given that the urabon ceremonies are about helping the dead. And lastly, Buddhism was transmitted by speakers of Pali. All of this suggests that explanations of the dead hanging upside-down in **** are more likely to be folk etymologies based on a mistaken connection to Sanskrit, rather than a more direct semantic link to Pali.

Pronunciation

On'yomi: Goon
(Tokyo) ぼん [bóꜜǹ] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1]^[2]
(Tokyo) ぼん [bòń] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
IPA^(key): [bõ̞ɴ]

Noun

盆 ‎(hiragana ぼん, romaji bon)

an offering or votive at Obon

Proper noun

盆 ‎(hiragana ぼん, romaji Bon)

the Obon or Bon Festival, an event with Buddhist roots, celebrated on July 15

Derived terms

盆踊 (ぼんおど)り ‎(Bon odori), 盆踊 (ぼんおどり) ‎(Bon Odori): a traditional dance performed at Obon

Idioms

盆 (ぼん)と正月 (しょうがつ)が一緒 (いっしょ)に来 (き)たよう ‎(Bon to Shōgatsu ga issho ni kita yō): “as if Bon and New Years came together” → extremely busy; an overlap of multiple happy occasions
盆 (ぼん)と正月 (しょうがつ)が一時 (いっとき)に来 (き)たよう ‎(Bon to Shōgatsu ga ittoki ni kita yō): “as if Bon and New Years came at the same time” → extremely busy; an overlap of multiple happy occasions
盆 (ぼん)の十六日 (じゅうろくにち)は地獄 (じごく)の釜 (かま)の蓋 (ふた)が開 (あ)く ‎(Bon no jūroku nichi wa jigoku no kama no futa ga aku): “on the 16th day of Bon, the lids on the kettles of **** open up” → from a tradition that the 16th day of July (the day just after Obon) is a day of rest and relative peace for the souls of the damned, when the demons of **** temporarily let people off the hook, and employers in this world would give their employees a day off
盆過 (ぼんす)ぎての鯖商 (さばあきな)い ‎(Bon sugite no saba akinai): “the mackeral business after Bon has finished” → a metaphor for something past its prime, from the way that grilled mackeral was often given as a gift food item or as an offering during Obon
盆過 (ぼんす)ぎての蓮 (はす)の葉 (は) ‎(Bon sugite no hasu no ha): “a lotus leaf after Bon has finished” → a metaphor for something past its prime, from the way that lotus leaves would often be used in offerings during Obon
盆過 (ぼんす)ぎての蓮 (はす)の花 (はな) ‎(Bon sugite no hasu no hana): “a lotus blossom after Bon has finished” → a metaphor for something past its prime, from the way that lotus flowers would often be used in offerings during Obon
盆三日 (ぼんみっか)は嫁 (よめとしゅう)と姑 (め)が仲 (なか)よくなる ‎(Bon mikka wa yome to shūtome ga nakayoku naru): “brides and mothers-in-law (can) get along for the three days of Bon” → from how family and other guests come to visit during Obon; compare the famous Benjamin Franklin quote, “After three days men grow weary of a wench, a guest, and weather rainy.”

Synonyms

(festival): お盆 (ぼん) ‎(Obon)
(festival): 盆祭 (ぼんまつ)り ‎(Bon matsuri), 盆祭 (ぼんまつり) ‎(Bon matsuri)
(festival, more specifically the Buddhist ceremonies): 盂蘭盆 (うらぼん) ‎(Urabon), 盂蘭盆会 (うらぼんえ) ‎(Urabon'e)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
盆
ぼに Grade: S
Irregular

Alteration from bon, where the final moraic n changed to ni.^[3]^[1] Compare the Japanese given name 紫苑 and the similar development of reading Shioni from Shion.

Obsolete reading.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [bõ̞ni]

Proper noun

盆 ‎(hiragana ぼに, romaji Boni)

(obsolete) the Obon festival (see above)

References

1 2 3 4 5 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
1 2 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3
1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
↑ 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-501211-0
↑ 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0

Korean

Hanja

盆 • ‎(bun) (hangeul 분, revised bun, McCune-Reischauer pun, Yale pun)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

盆 (bồn, buồn, vồn, bòn, dồn)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

Nôm: bòn, bồn, buồn, buồng

References

Thiều Chửu : Hán Việt Tự Điển Hà Nội 1942
Trần Văn Chánh: Từ Điển Hán Việt NXB Trẻ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999
Vũ Văn Kính: Đại Tự Điển Chữ Nôm , NXB Văn Nghệ, Ho Chi Minh Ville, 1999

Definify.com

Definition 2024

盆

盆

Translingual

Glyph origin

Han character

References

Chinese

Pronunciation

Noun

Compounds

Classifier

References

Japanese

Kanji

Readings

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Idioms

Synonyms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Proper noun

Derived terms

Idioms

Synonyms

See also

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

Proper noun

References

Korean

Hanja

Vietnamese

Han character

Readings

References

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