瓦屋根

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 瓦屋根 (かわらやね) is a compound noun for a roof covered with overlapping fired-clay tiles.
• Basic usage: 雨上がりの瓦屋根が光る makes the wet roof the subject shining after rain, while 古い瓦屋根を修理する makes the structure repaired tile by tile the object.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Whole roof and individual tiles
  • 瓦屋根が光る concerns the whole structure, while 瓦屋根を一枚ずつ修理 repairs its tiles successively. One tile should not be equated with the entire roof.