Kanji: 砲 (Cannon/Artillery)
The kanji 砲 means "cannon," "artillery," or any large, heavy firearm that launches projectiles. It is composed of the "stone" radical (石), indicating its historical use of stone projectiles, and the "wrap" component (包), suggesting the containment of explosive force.
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): ホウ (hō)
Common Words & Usage:
大砲 (taihō) - Noun. Cannon, artillery.
砲弾 (hōdan) - Noun. Cannonball, artillery shell.
銃砲 (jūhō) - Noun. Firearms and cannons; guns.
砲撃 (hōgeki) - Noun/Suru-verb. Shelling, bombardment.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: かつての城塞には、多くの大砲が備え付けられていた。
Romaji: Katsute no jōsai ni wa, ōku no taihō ga sonaetsukerarete ita.
English: Many cannons were once mounted on the old fortress.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 砲 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.