束

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 束 (たば) is a noun for a bundle or bunch of items gathered together, such as flowers or letters.
• Basic usage: It is used for buying one bunch of flowers or describing a bundle of old letters on a desk.
  • 花を一束買って食卓に飾った。 — I bought a bouquet and decorated the dining table.
  • 机の上に古い手紙の束が置かれていた。 — A bundle of old letters lay on the desk.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Bundle and counting
  • 束 names the bundle and also appears in counting expressions such as 一束. The bundled item can precede it with の, as in 手紙の束.