1.
low table; floor table; Japanese-style table
A low table designed to be used while sitting on the floor (on tatami mats or cushions). A staple of traditional Japanese living rooms.
座卓を囲んで食事をする。
To sit around a low table and eat.
和室に座卓と座布団を置いた。
I placed a low table and floor cushions in the Japanese-style room.
祖母の家では、いつも座卓でお茶を飲んだ。
At my grandmother's house, we always drank tea at the low table.
USAGE:
The defining feature is that it is low enough to use while sitting on the floor. In winter, many families convert their 座卓 into a 炬燵 (heated table) by adding a heater underneath and a blanket over the top.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 座卓を囲む (to sit around a low table)
- 座卓に座る (to sit at a low table)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ちゃぶ台: small low dining table — more casual, round or square
- 炬燵: heated low table — a 座卓 with a built-in heater
- テーブル: table — Western-style table with legs for chairs