屋
Roof / Shop
On’yomi: や
Kun’yomi: None
Radicals: Flag + Ground + Pile + Grave
Meaning: Roof
Making a pile on the ground above a grave, you stick a flag into it, making a roof for your dear friend Babe Ruth. He always liked piles of dirt on the ground with flags stuck in them. Too bad he’s in a grave now, but at least he has a roof with a flag over his head.
Imagine the sadness you felt when your dear friend Babe Ruth was taken away from you. He was your best buddy, but now he’s gone. You had to put him in the ground all by yourself. Truly tragic.
This also refers to a “shop” too. So, if you see this on the end of something, you can guess they sell that thing that comes before this there.
Reading: や
What team did Babe Ruth play for again? Oh, yeah – the Yankees (や). How forgetful of you. The flag in the roof of his grave is a Yankee flag! Duh.
Do you like the Yankees? Imagine if you played for them. You’d be like, super popular if you were a Yankees player. Just imagine the fame and fortune.
Related Vocabulary
屋根 やね Roof
- 屋 (Roof) + 根 (Root)
肉屋 にくや Butcher, Butcher Shop
- 肉 (meat) + 屋 (shop)
すし屋 すしや Sushi Shop
- すし (sushi) + 屋 (shop)