座標

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 座標 is read as ざひょう and is a noun for coordinates, numerical values identifying a point on a plane or in space.
• Basic usage: Writing map coordinates in a table appears in 地図上の座標を表に書く, while finding distance from two points’ coordinates appears in 二つの点の座標から距離を求める.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Numerical representation of position
  • It expresses a point’s location with values along reference axes rather than with a place name or directional description.
• Difference from 位置
  • Unlike the broad word for where something is located, this term expresses position through values in a defined coordinate system.