Meaning
Bag / Bale / Sack
Refers to traditional straw or rice bags, often used to carry or count bundles.
- 俵 — straw bag (especially for rice)
- 米俵 — rice bag
- 砂俵 — sand bag
- 炭俵 — charcoal bag
- 土俵 — sumo ring (originally made of straw bales)
俵 combines 亻 (person) with 表 (surface, exterior). It originally depicted a person carrying something wrapped, which evolved into the meaning of a straw sack or bale for storing and transporting goods like rice or grain.
米俵を 倉庫に 運びました。
I carried the rice bales into the warehouse.
土俵に 力士が 上る。
A sumo wrestler steps into the ring.