宝

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 宝, read たから, denotes an object or person regarded as very precious.
• Basic usage: In 祖父から受け継いだ時計は家族の宝だ。, the inherited watch is treasured by the family.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Value beyond objects
  • Calling 子どもたち the community's 宝 figuratively expresses how precious the children are. The word applies both to treasured objects such as the watch and to people cherished by a community.