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【No. 1190】Yubune (湯船 - Bathtub)

Mar 22, 2018 09:09
Most Japanese houses have 湯船 (yubune).

湯 (yu) means "hot water," 船 (fune/bune) means "boat," and "yubune" is a large container to keep hot water for bath, that is to say, it's a bathtub.

In the Edo period in Japan, the custom of getting in a bathtub became gradually popular.

At that time, 銭湯 (sento - public bath house) was common, but the number of "sento" was limited because it needed a lot of hot water.

Because of this, a mobile bath house made by renovating a boat was born.

This is the derivation of the Japanese word 湯船 (yubune - lit. a hot water boat).
湯船

日本の多くの家庭には、「湯船」があります。

「湯船」とは、入浴のため湯をためておく大きな容れ物、すなわち浴槽のことを意味します。

日本では江戸時代、風呂に入る習慣が広まってきましたが、かつては銭湯が主流でした。

しかし、大量の湯を使う銭湯の件数は限られていました。

そこで、船の中に浴槽を作り湯を張って入浴させる、移動式の風呂屋が誕生しました。

これが、「湯船」という言葉の由来です。

Corrections (1)

No. 1 tony
  • Most Japanese houses have 湯船 (yubune).
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • 湯 (yu) means "hot water," 船 (fune/bune) means "boat," and "yubune" is a large container to keep hot water for bath, that is to say, it's a bathtub.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • In the Edo period in Japan, the custom of getting in a bathtub became gradually popular.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • At that time, 銭湯 (sento - public bath house) was common, but the number of "sento" was limited because it needed a lot of hot water.
  • At that time, 銭湯 (sento - public bath house) was common, but the number of "sento" was limited because they needed/required/used a lot of hot water.
  • Because of this, a mobile bath house made by renovating a boat was born.
  • Because of this, a mobile bath house made by renovating a boat was born/invented.
  • This is the derivation of the Japanese word 湯船 (yubune - lit.
  • This is the derivation of the Japanese word 湯船 (yubune - literally
  • a hot water boat).
  • "(a) hot water boat").

Are 湯船 and 風呂 two different names for the same thing? I have heard what some people have in their houses called 風呂.
「湯船」と「風呂」と違いますか。

Toru
Thank you so much for the correction!

> Are 湯船 and 風呂 two different names for the same thing? I have heard what some people have in their houses called 風呂.
It's a little difficult question. 湯船 is mainly used to mean "bathtub," whereas 風呂 can mean both "bathtub" and "bathroom." If you say 風呂に入る, I don't know whether you will just take a shower or get in a bathtub. Also, you can say 風呂で湯船に浸かる (I get in a bathtub in a bathroom).
tony
分かりました。ありがとうございます。

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