布団
Meaning in Englishfuton, Japanese bedding
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Word context
What it means
布団 (futon) means a traditional Japanese bedding set consisting of a padded mattress and a covering designed to be laid out indoors at night and compactly stored by day; it denotes the household item used as a sleeping surface in many Japanese homes and inns.
Main meanings
- Refers to a Western-style convertible couch or sofa-bed that adopted the name futon outside Japan, emphasizing a different furniture form.
- Used to refer specifically to components: the thin mattress (shikibuton) or the quilt/duvet (kakebuton) depending on context.
- Colloquially used to mean someone's sleeping place or bed in casual speech.
- Occasionally appears in compound terms and product names to indicate bedding-related goods or services.
How to use it
Common in private homes, guest rooms, and traditional inns (ryokan); typically brought out at night and folded or stored in a closet (oshiire) by day to save space, aired outdoors for freshness, and supplied for overnight guests; terminology and presentation are neutral and suitable for everyday, non‑formal contexts.
Variants and close terms
- 敷布団 (しきぶとん, shikibuton) — floor mattress
- 掛け布団 (かけぶとん, kakebuton) — duvet/cover
- 毛布 (もうふ, moufu) — blanket
- ベッド (ベッド, beddo) — Western bed
- ソファベッド (ソファベッド, sofābeddo) — sofa bed
Composition
- 布 (ぬの nuno) — cloth, fabric.
- 団 (だん dan) — group, bundle; here indicating something bundled or padded.
- The two characters together evoke a 'bundle of cloth'—a padded fabric item used as bedding.
Origin
The padded form recognized today grew prominent in early modern Japan as cotton became more accessible (especially during the Edo period); the item later adapted into new forms during the 20th century, including Western-style versions and factory-produced variants sold nationwide.
Word class
noun (名詞)