1.
building blocks; toy blocks
Small wooden or plastic blocks of various shapes that children stack and arrange to build structures. A classic children's toy.
子どもが積み木で遊んでいる。
The child is playing with building blocks.
積み木を高く積み上げて塔を作った。
I stacked the blocks high and built a tower.
カラフルな積み木は、子どもの想像力や手先の器用さを育てるのに役立つ。
Colorful building blocks are useful for developing children's imagination and manual dexterity.
USAGE:
積み木 typically refers to traditional wooden blocks, though modern versions come in various materials. It is one of the most common and recognizable children's toys in Japan.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 積み木で遊ぶ (to play with blocks)
- 積み木を積む (to stack blocks)
- 積み木を崩す (to knock down blocks)
- 木製の積み木 (wooden blocks)
NUANCE:
Sometimes used figuratively to describe something built up carefully that can be easily toppled, similar to "house of cards" in English.