length

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 丈 has three strokes. Read たけ, it refers to the length or height of things such as clothing or fabric.
• Basic usage: スカートの丈 means the length of a skirt; 丈 is read じょう in 丈夫 and 大丈夫.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Length beyond a person's height
  • 丈 can describe the length of objects such as skirts and curtains.
  • The inherited Korean learning gloss “adult” does not restrict it to adults or human height.
• Sturdy versus all right
  • 丈夫, read じょうぶ, describes something sturdy or someone healthy.
  • 大丈夫, read だいじょうぶ, means that something is all right or not a problem.
  • 大丈夫ですか addressed to someone who has fallen asks whether they are all right.