1.
brick
A rectangular block of clay hardened by drying or firing, used in building construction.
煉瓦造りの建物は丈夫だ。
Brick buildings are sturdy.
赤い煉瓦の倉庫が観光名所になっている。
The red brick warehouse has become a tourist attraction.
庭に煉瓦で花壇を作った。
I made a flower bed with bricks in the garden.
USAGE: 煉瓦 can also be written as レンガ in katakana in modern usage.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 煉瓦造り (brick construction)
- 煉瓦を積む (to stack/lay bricks)
- 赤煉瓦 (red brick)
COUNTER: 個 or 枚
CULTURAL NOTE: Red brick (赤煉瓦) buildings from the Meiji era are often preserved as historical landmarks in Japan, particularly in Yokohama, Hakodate, and other port cities that were early to adopt Western architecture.