束 Meaning, Readings, and Vocabulary Summary｜Onyomi ソク・Kunyomi たば
The kanji 束 (to tie / bundle) depicts scattered pieces of wood tied together with a string.
It is primarily read as ソク for its onyomi (e.g., 約束, 結束) and たば for its kunyomi (e.g., 花束, 束ねる).
It is an essential kanji used very frequently in daily life in words like 約束 (promise) and 花束 (bouquet).
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
束 carries the meaning of gathering scattered things and tying them together. As a noun, it means 'bundle' or 'bunch', and as a verb, it represents the action 'to tie'. Abstractly, it extends to meanings like 'promise' (約束) or 'solidarity' (結束), where people's hearts or actions are bound together.
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
Imagine pieces of firewood (木) tied tightly in the middle with a string (口) to keep them from scattering. The meaning of 'bundle' and 'to tie' originated from this image of binding multiple items together into one.
On'yomi and kun'yomi
On reading
Kun reading
Commonly used words
Example sentences
Mini quiz
Which of the following words containing the kanji '束' has an incorrect reading?
One-line summary
束 originates from the image of wood tied with a string, meaning 'to tie' or 'bundle'. It is frequently used in essential words like 約束 (promise) and 花束 (bouquet).
FAQ
What is the difference between 束ねる (たばねる) and 結ぶ (むすぶ)?
束ねる has a strong nuance of gathering multiple items (like paper or hair) into a single bundle, while 結ぶ is closer to tying the ends of a string or thread to make a knot.
Is 束 ever read as 'つか'?
Yes, while a wad of cash is often called 札束 (さつたば), a bundle of one million yen is sometimes referred to as 100万円の束 (ひゃくまんえんのつか). Additionally, 'つか' is used as a unit of measurement for the length of arrows or sword hilts.
