finger · point

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 指 has 9 strokes and the on-reading し. 指 (ゆび) means a finger, while 指す (さす) means to point or refer to something.
• Basic usage: 指 names a body part; 指す can describe pointing to a location or a word referring to something.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A finger and what is indicated
  • 指を切らないように warns against cutting a finger. 指の先がかじかんだ means that the fingertips became numb in the cold wind.
  • 赤い点を指して describes pointing to the red dot on a map. 家族全員を指す場合もある means that the word can also refer to the entire family, without making that its meaning in every case.