仏壇

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 仏壇 (ぶつだん) is a noun for a Buddhist household altar used for enshrinement and offerings.
• Basic usage: 仏壇に花を供える makes the altar the destination of a flower offering, while 古い仏壇を布で拭く makes it the physical object wiped with a cloth.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Offering destination and cleaning object
  • 仏壇に marks where flowers are offered, while 仏壇を marks what is directly cleaned. The flowers are not part of the altar, and the cloth is not an offering.