三脚(さんきゃく)

Etymology

三(さん) (three) + 脚(きゃく) (leg) — literally 'three legs'. A three-legged stand for steadying a カメラ, a telescope, or similar equipment.

Common collocations

• 三脚(さんきゃく)を立(た)てる: to set up a tripod
• 三脚(さんきゃく)に載(の)せる: to mount something on a tripod
• 三脚(さんきゃく)を畳(たた)む: to fold a tripod down
• 携帯(けいたい)三脚(さんきゃく): a portable tripod
• ミニ三脚(さんきゃく): a mini tripod
• スマホ三脚(さんきゃく): a phone tripod

Related words

• 一脚(いっきゃく): a monopod, with a single leg
• 雲台(うんだい): the tripod head — the swivelling part the camera actually screws onto, bought separately on serious tripods

Cultural note

Many Japanese tourist sites, museums, and event venues ban tripods because of the space they take and the trip hazard. Watch for signs reading 三脚(さんきゃく)使用(しよう)禁止(きんし) or simply 三脚(さんきゃく)禁止(きんし).