1.
pole; rod; long stick
A long, thin stick or pole used for various purposes — hanging laundry, pushing a boat, or reaching things. One of the basic tools in traditional Japanese daily life.
2.
fishing rod; fishing pole
A rod used for fishing, especially a traditional bamboo fishing pole. In fishing contexts, 竿 alone commonly means 'fishing rod.'
A fundamental word in traditional Japanese life. The voiced form ざお appears in compounds: 物干し竿 ('laundry pole'), 釣り竿 ('fishing rod'). Originally referred to bamboo poles, which were the standard material for centuries.
Usage
- In compound words, the reading changes to ざお through rendaku (sequential voicing): 釣り竿, 物干し竿.
- 竿を差す ('to pole a boat') is the traditional expression for propelling a flat-bottomed boat.
- In everyday modern life, the most common encounter with 竿 is the 物干し竿 used to hang laundry outdoors.
Common collocations
- 物干し竿: laundry drying pole
- 釣り竿: fishing rod
- 竿を差す: to pole a boat
- 竿を垂れる: to cast a line (fishing)
- 竹竿: bamboo pole