vessel · ability

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 器 can denote a container or a person's capacity; its kun-reading is うつわ and its on-reading is き.
• Basic usage: 青い器 means a blue bowl or vessel; 器用, read きよう, describes being skillful.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A vessel as a metaphor for personal capacity
  • 多くの人を率いる器ではない means lacking the capacity to lead many people. It concerns the ability to handle a leadership role, rather than the size of a container.
  • 器用に紙を折って describes folding paper skillfully. 器 can concern capacity for a role, while 器用 in this context focuses on manual skill.