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道Nihongo Path
坪

坪·tsubo (area unit)

On-yomi
none
Kun-yomi
つぼ

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

8 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
坪つぼtsubo (approx. 3.3 sq. m)
建坪たてつぼfloor area of a building
坪数つぼすうarea in tsubo
坪単価つぼたんかprice per tsubo

Example sentences

  1. この部屋は十坪ほどある。

    このへやはじゅっつぼほどある。

    This room is about ten tsubo.

  2. 不動産屋で土地の坪数を確認した。

    ふどうさんやでとちのつぼすうをかくにんした。

    I checked the land area in tsubo at the estate agent's.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 建坪 as けんつぼ — it is たてつぼ
  • Treating 坪 as a general unit of area — it is used for land and floor space, not for fields or farmland (that is 反 or 町)

Memory aid

Picture it

Earth 土 next to 平 'flat' — a flat square of ground, which is exactly what a tsubo measures.

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 坪 mean?