Meaning
布 has two core meanings: cloth or fabric as a material, and to spread, distribute, or announce as an action. Both trace back to the same ancient practice.
In ancient China and Japan, woven cloth was a primary trade commodity. Merchants spread it out flat to display quality — a gesture so central to daily commerce that it gave the character its dual identity: the object and the act in one.
Structurally, 布 combines the radical 巾 (きん) — a hanging strip of cloth — with upper strokes that suggest hands reaching outward. Picture someone pulling fabric taut to inspect it, and the character makes immediate sense.
Five strokes, Grade 5. 布 turns up everywhere: futon bedding, kitchen towels, legal promulgations. Its reach across registers — bedroom floor to official gazette — is what makes it worth learning early.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
フ (fu) comes from Middle Chinese and appears in formal compound vocabulary — distribution, official announcements, scattering over an area. You will encounter it far more in writing than in speech.
- 分布 (bunpu) — distribution, spread (e.g., population distribution)
- 配布 (haifu) — handing out, distributing (e.g., distributing flyers)
- 公布 (kōfu) — official promulgation, public announcement (of a law)
- 散布 (sanpu) — scattering, spraying (e.g., pesticide spraying)
- 布告 (fukoku) — proclamation, official edict
- 布教 (fukyō) — proselytization, spreading a religious faith
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
ぬの (nuno) is the everyday word for woven cloth as a physical material — what you say when buying fabric at a shop or describing what a bag is made from. し.く (shiku), from the verb 敷く, means to spread or lay something flat: a mat, a sheet, a carpet. Short verb, concrete action — it anchors the physical side of this kanji.
- 布 (nuno) — cloth, fabric (as a material)
- 布地 (nunoji) — cloth material, woven fabric
- 布製 (nunosei) — made of cloth
- 敷布 (shikifu) — bed sheet (cloth that is spread/laid out)
Common Words & Compounds
布 compounds fall into three clusters: household objects, acts of distribution, and official proclamations. Below are the key items for N2.
Household & Everyday Items
- 布団 (futon) — futon, Japanese bedding (mattress and quilt)
- 布巾 (fukin) — dish cloth, kitchen towel
- 毛布 (mōfu) — blanket, woolen blanket
- 布地 (nunoji) — fabric, cloth material
- 布製 (nunosei) — cloth-made, made of fabric
Distribution & Spreading
- 配布 (haifu) — distribution (handing things out to people)
- 分布 (bunpu) — spatial distribution, spread over an area
- 散布 (sanpu) — spraying, scattering (liquids or particles)
- 塗布 (tofu) — application, spreading (of a cream or coating)
Official Announcement
- 公布 (kōfu) — promulgation, official publication of a law
- 布告 (fukoku) — proclamation, declaration (formal edict)
- 布令 (furei) — official ordinance, government directive
Strategy & Religion
- 布石 (fuseki) — opening moves in Go; strategic groundwork laid in advance
- 布教 (fukyō) — missionary work, spreading a religion or doctrine
Example Sentences
この布は肌触りがとても良い。
Kono nuno wa hadazawari ga totemo yoi.
This cloth has a very pleasant feel against the skin.
市役所でパンフレットを配布している。
Shiyakusho de panfuretto wo haifu shite iru.
They are handing out pamphlets at the city hall.
この地域での人口分布を調べた。
Kono chiiki de no jinkō bunpu wo shirabeta.
I looked into the population distribution in this region.
新しい法律が公布された。
Atarashii hōritsu ga kōfu sareta.
The new law was promulgated.
布団を干すのを忘れてしまった。
Futon wo hosu no wo wasurete shimatta.
I forgot to hang the futon out to air.
農薬を畑に散布する作業は早朝に行う。
Nōyaku wo hatake ni sanpu suru sagyō wa sōchō ni okonau.
Pesticide spraying in the field is done in the early morning.
この寺は江戸時代から布教活動を続けている。
Kono tera wa Edo jidai kara fukyō katsudō wo tsuzukete iru.
This temple has carried on its missionary work since the Edo period.
彼の計画は将来のための布石だった。
Kare no keikaku wa shōrai no tame no fuseki datta.
His plan was groundwork for what came later.
日焼け止めを肌に塗布してから外出した。
Hiyakedome wo hada ni tofu shite kara gaishutsu shita.
I applied sunscreen to my skin before heading out.
Memory Tip
Picture a market merchant stretching a bolt of cloth between both hands — pulling it wide so a customer can judge the color and weave. The bottom component, 巾, is a hanging strip of cloth. The strokes above are arms reaching out.
That image covers everything: cloth being unfolded, a royal edict unrolled and read aloud, pesticide sprayed across a field. All of it is spreading outward. One gesture, one kanji.
布団 (futon) — something you literally spread out on the floor — makes a solid anchor. You encounter the kanji every time you make your bed.