すり鉢

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: すり鉢 (すりばち) is a noun for a mortar or grinding bowl used to grind or crush ingredients.
• Basic usage: すり鉢で marks it as the tool used for grinding, while すり鉢に marks it as the container receiving an ingredient.
  • すり鉢でごまを細かくすった。 — I ground sesame seeds finely in a mortar.
  • 祖母は大きなすり鉢にみそを入れた。 — My grandmother put soybean paste in a large grinding bowl.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tool with で and container with に
  • Use すり鉢で when the bowl is the means of grinding and すり鉢に when it is the place an ingredient enters. The particles highlight different roles of the same object.