chopsticks

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 箸 has 15 strokes and denotes chopsticks used to pick up food.
• Basic usage: 箸 is read はし, and 割り箸 is read わりばし.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Marking a tool
  • 箸でそっと持ち上げた means gently lifted something with chopsticks.
  • で marks the tool used.
• Compound reading and counting
  • In 割り箸, the final 箸 is read ばし.
  • 割り箸を一膳もらった means received a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks.
  • Here, 一膳 counts one pair.