dedicate · serve

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 奉 means serving or dedicating; its on-readings include ほう and ぶ.
• Basic usage: 奉仕(ほうし) means service or volunteering, while 奉納(ほうのう) means an offering to a deity.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Serving the community and making an offering
  • 奉仕 is work done for others, such as a town cleanup or service to the local community.
  • 舞を奉納する means offering a dance. 奉納 applies to performances offered before a deity as well as to objects such as votive plaques.