箸

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 箸, read はし, refers to chopsticks used to pick up food.
• Basic usage: It appears in scenes such as lifting tofu or placing children’s chopsticks on a table.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Counting a pair
  • A pair of chopsticks is counted as 一膳, read いちぜん. This differs from 一本, which counts a single stick.
• The same kana spelling
  • 橋, a bridge, and 端, an edge, are also written はし in kana. In food and dining contexts, the spelling 箸 identifies the utensil.