1.
strip of paper, tanzaku
A narrow rectangular strip of paper used for writing poems, wishes, or calligraphy. Most commonly associated with the Tanabata festival, where wishes are written on colored strips and hung on bamboo branches.
短冊に願い事を書く。
To write a wish on a tanzaku strip.
子どもたちが色とりどりの短冊を笹に飾った。
The children decorated the bamboo with colorful tanzaku strips.
七夕の夜、風に揺れる短冊が美しかった。
On the night of Tanabata, the tanzaku strips swaying in the wind were beautiful.
USAGE:
Most strongly associated with 七夕 (Tanabata, the Star Festival on July 7), when people write wishes on 短冊 and hang them on 笹 (bamboo grass). Also used in traditional poetry (和歌, 俳句) as a writing format.
KANJI:
短 means "short" and 冊 (normally さつ) means "booklet" or "volume." The compound refers to the narrow, strip-like shape.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 短冊に書く: to write on a tanzaku
- 短冊を飾る: to hang/decorate with tanzaku
- 短冊切り: cutting into thin strips (cooking term)