基礎
Meaning in Englishfoundation, basis
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
What does 基礎 mean? It refers to the underlying base or support on which something is built, from a physical foundation to the base of a system or idea. In everyday and technical language it denotes the essential groundwork that makes growth, stability, and understanding possible, serving as the starting point for further development.
Main meanings
- Physical foundation: the bottom structure that supports buildings, devices, or objects.
- Foundational principles: the core concepts that underlie a theory, method, or practice.
- Starting point for learning or development: prerequisites or preliminary knowledge that enables progress.
- Metaphorical basis for arguments or claims: the evidence or rationale that supports a conclusion.
How to use it
Used as a formal noun in construction, engineering, education, and science. It denotes the physical base of a structure or the fundamental principles or starting point of a system; collocates include 基礎研究, 基礎工事, 基礎知識.
Variants and close terms
- 基盤 (kiban) — foundation, underlying base
- 土台 (dai) — base, platform
- 根底 (kontei) — underlying basis
- 基本 (kihon) — base, fundamentals
Composition
- 基 — base, foundation; indicates starting point or underpinning
- 礎 — cornerstone, foundation stone; emphasizes stability
Etymology
基礎 is a Sino-Japanese compound formed from the on'yomi readings of the two kanji, read together as kiso in modern Japanese; the pronunciation consolidated over time to a single word, while the characters retain distinct senses of base and cornerstone.
Origin
Appeared in classical Japanese texts influenced by Chinese, initially referring to the base of a structure and subsequently extended to abstract bases for ideas or knowledge, becoming common in education, engineering, and science in modern times.
Word class
Noun (名詞)