国

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 国 is read くに. It means a country and can refer to one's homeland in context.
• Basic usage: It describes features of a country and returning to one's homeland after a journey.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A particular country
  • この国 in この国には高い山がたくさんあります refers to the particular country being discussed.
• Returning home
  • In ようやく国へ帰った, 国 is the homeland reached after a long journey.