仏

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 仏 is a noun read ほとけ. It can refer to the Buddha or, depending on context, to someone who has died.
• Basic usage: A temple carving or enshrined figure points to the Buddha sense, while a person described with 仏になった is being referred to as deceased.
  • 寺の本堂に木彫りの仏が安置されている。 describes a wooden Buddha enshrined in the main hall; 家族は仏になった祖父の思い出を静かに語った。 describes a family quietly recalling their late grandfather.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 木彫りの仏
  • 木彫りの identifies the material and carving method, so 仏 in this context is the figure enshrined at the temple.
• 仏になった祖父
  • This is a gentle way to refer to the grandfather as deceased; it does not literally say that he turned into a statue.
• 仏 and 仏像
  • 仏 can mean the Buddha or the deceased according to context, while 仏像 explicitly denotes an image or statue of the Buddha.