1.
scroll
A roll of paper or silk with writing or illustrations, traditionally used for documents, paintings, and religious texts in East Asia.
古い巻物が発見された。
An old scroll was discovered.
博物館には平安時代の巻物が展示されている。
Scrolls from the Heian period are on display at the museum.
この巻物には当時の生活が細かく描かれている。
This scroll depicts the daily life of that era in fine detail.
2.
rolled sushi, maki roll
Sushi made by rolling rice and fillings in a sheet of nori (seaweed) using a bamboo mat. Short for 巻き寿司.
巻物を一本注文した。
I ordered one sushi roll.
今日のお昼は巻物にしよう。
Let's have rolled sushi for lunch today.
子どもたちと一緒に巻物を作るのは楽しい。
It's fun to make sushi rolls together with the kids.
USAGE:
The two meanings are usually clear from context. In historical or cultural contexts, 巻物 means a scroll. In food contexts, it refers to rolled sushi (巻き寿司). Scrolls are counted with 巻 or 本; sushi rolls are counted with 本.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 絵巻物: picture scroll (emakimono)
- 巻物を広げる: unroll a scroll
- 太巻き: thick sushi roll
- 細巻き: thin sushi roll