neighborhood

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 坊 has the meaning neighborhood and the on-reading ぼう. It also occurs in words referring to people.
• Basic usage: 坊や(ぼうや) refers to a little boy, while 坊さん(ぼうさん) refers to a monk.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Addressing a child and referring to a monk
  • In 坊や、この帽子を落とさなかったかい, someone addresses a child as ‘little boy.’ 坊や can name or address a young boy.
  • 寺の坊さん means the monk at a temple. Although both words begin with 坊, the ending changes whom they refer to.