Japanese with anime voice: episode28
Hello, I’m Sachi.
April 10 is 建具 (Tategu)’s Day. 建具 (Tategu) is the general term for doors, shoji screens, fusuma sliding doors, and windows that can be opened and closed, used to partition a room or to separate it from the outside. Simply put, it means a door. Since April 10 can be read as yoi to, it has been established as 建具 (Tategu)’s day to collectively refer to door-related items.
This Japanese word 建具 (Tategu), 戸 (to), 扉 (tobira), 障子 (shouji), ふすま (fusuma), and so on, do you ever wonder which name is used for what kind of things? The reason is that some names related to 建具 (Tategu) have clear distinctions between uses, while others are ambiguous. Also, among Japanese people, there are some who know what it means and don’t dare to use it differently. And there are other words that have similar meanings to the word 戸 (to), such as 扉 (tobira), ドア (doa), and 戸扉 (kohi).
The term “戸 (to)” refers to everything attached to the entrance and exit of a building. Until the arrival of Western culture, most doors in Japan were opened and closed by pulling them sideways. This is called 引き戸 (hikido). Western doors open and close back and forth, so they are called 開き戸 (hirakido). The word “戸 (to)” includes both 引き戸 (hikido) and 開き戸 (hirakido), but in everyday Japanese conversation, the word “戸 (to)” is often used mainly to mean 引き戸 (hikido). I have never consciously used the word myself, so I guess it is true. Certainly, the first word that comes to mind when I see 引き戸 (hikido) at the entrance of a Japanese house is “戸 (to)”.
Among these 引き戸 (hikido), there are two types: 障子 (shouji) and ふすま (fusuma).
障子 (shouji) is a door with a lattice-like wooden frame to which paper made of Japanese paper is pasted on one side.
ふすま (fusuma) is a door with paper or cloth affixed to both sides of a wooden frame.
These are the fittings of Japanese houses. Unfortunately, the number of homes with 障子 (shouji) screens and ふすま (fusuma) doors has been decreasing in recent years, even if there are Japanese-style rooms, because Japanese houses are built in a Western-style structure.
Especially in the case of 建具 (Tategu) in Japanese houses, sometimes 障子 (shouji) or ふすま (fusuma) is used as a generic word 戸 (to), and sometimes 障子 (shouji) or ふすま (fusuma) is used as the name of a type of 戸 (to). This mixing of terms can cause confusion for learners of Japanese language as to which word to use.
扉 (tobira) is often used to refer primarily to 開き戸 (hirakido).
ドア (doa) is the katakana reading of the English word door. Therefore, it is basically the same usage as 扉 (tobira).
And the term 戸扉 (kohi). I did not know how to read this either. The kanji for “戸 (to)” and “扉 (tobira)” are combined to read “戸扉 (kohi).” I think I have seen this kanji before, but I probably read it as “ととびら (totobira)”. I had never thought of reading “こひ (kohi)” with this character. And 戸扉 (kohi) is a word that refers only to 片開きの扉 (katabiraki no tobira). 片開き (katabiraki) is a door that opens with one door fixed on either side. Incidentally, two 扉 (tobira) that open in the center are called 両開き (ryoubiraki).
Among the names 戸 (to), 扉 (tobira), ドア (doa), and 戸扉 (kohi), only 戸扉 (kohi) has a clear usage distinction. The other names are not clearly distinguished.
Train announcements are a particularly good example. Train boarding and exiting doors are, in terms of fittings, 引き戸 (hikido). But when the train stops at a station, the announcement is “扉が開きます (tobira ga hirakimasu), 扉が閉まります (tobira ga shimarimasu)” or “ドアが開きます (doa ga hirakimasu), ドアが閉まります (doa ga shimarimasu)”.
If 戸 (to) mainly refers to 引き戸 (hikido) in everyday conversation, then I would think that even getting on and off the train would be 戸 (to). But I have never heard of 戸が開きます (to ga hirakimasu) or 戸が閉まります (to ga shimarimasu). I wonder why, though… I guess it’s because the single letter 戸 (to) is hard to understand, or is that it?
Well, the train entrance is 引き戸 (hikido), but technically, it is not 引き戸 (hikido). It’s 自動ドア (jidou doa). ドア (doa) opens and closes automatically, so it is 自動ドア (jidou doa). 自動ドア (jidou doa) is, in other words, 自動扉 (jidoutobira). But 自動ドア (jidou doa) is used more often, so it fits better.
It would not be wrong to say 自動扉 (jidoutobira). But I think we use 自動ドア (jidou doa) more.
Well, I apologize for being so ambiguous, but this is the Japanese language. If you worry too much about the different usages, you will not be able to talk, and you will not be able to follow the conversation because you will only worry about the meanings. I think you will be able to speak much more easily if you learn all the words 扉 (tobira) or ドア (doa), rather than trying to remember 戸 (to) and 扉 (tobira) separately at the beginning.
When I was a child, I used to think that 引き戸 (hikido) was uncool. But recently, since I have started wearing kimonos on a regular basis, my sleeves get caught on doorknobs all over the house. It’s very frustrating. And if they get caught too vigorously, they tear the seams and damage the kimono quickly, don’t they? When I think about it, I realize that 引き戸 (hikido) fittings are suitable for kimonos. When I realized this, I was again interested in how Japanese houses are structured in a way that makes sense for ethnic costumes. 障子 (shoji) screens and ふすま (fusuma) can be made from natural materials. Above all, they look very stylish. Even after all this time, I would like to live in such a Japanese-style house.
