1.
grave, tomb
A place where a dead person is buried; a burial site with a marker or monument.
お盆に墓を参った。
I visited the grave during Obon.
墓を参る = to visit a grave (墓参り)
先祖の墓は京都にある。
My ancestors' graves are in Kyoto.
墓に花を供えた。
I offered flowers at the grave.
家族みんなで墓の掃除をした。
The whole family cleaned the grave together.
祖父が亡くなってから、毎年お彼岸に墓参りに行っている。
Since my grandfather passed away, I visit his grave every year during the equinox.
お彼岸 = equinox period (traditional time for grave visits)
USAGE: 墓 refers to individual graves or tombs. In Japan, families often share a single grave marker (墓石/墓石).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 墓参り (visiting a grave)
- 墓を建てる (to erect a gravestone)
- 墓に入る (to be buried)
- 墓を掃除する (to clean the grave)
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 墓参り (grave visit)
- 墓地 (cemetery, graveyard)
- 墓石/墓石 (gravestone, tombstone)
- 墓場 (graveyard)
- お墓 (grave - polite)
CULTURAL NOTE: Visiting family graves (墓参り) is an important tradition in Japan, especially during お盆 (Obon) and お彼岸 (equinox periods).