湯(ゆ)たんぽ

A 湯(ゆ)たんぽ is a hot water bottle, put into the bedding an hour before turning in so the futon is warm on a cold night. It remains a normal winter object in Japanese homes rather than an old-fashioned one.

Formation: 湯(ゆ) 'hot water' + たんぽ, from the Chinese-derived 湯婆(たんぽ) 'warming vessel'. Also written 湯湯婆(ゆたんぽ) or 湯婆(ゆたんぽ), though the mixed form above is what people actually write.

Types, by material and heating method:

• 金属(きんぞく)製(せい): metal, the traditional kind, which can go straight on a stove
• 樹脂(じゅし)製(せい) / ゴム製(せい): plastic and rubber, the everyday kinds
• 電気(でんき)湯(ゆ)たんぽ: an electrically heated version
• レンジで温(あたた)めるタイプ: gel-filled, microwaved rather than filled

Collocations

• 湯(ゆ)たんぽを入(い)れる: to put a hot water bottle in the bed
• 湯(ゆ)たんぽで足(あし)を温(あたた)める: to warm one's feet with it

Prolonged contact with the skin causes 低温(ていおん)やけど, a low-temperature burn, so a 湯(ゆ)たんぽ is always used inside a cover.