The Kanji: 仏 (Butsu / Hotoke)
The kanji 仏 carries two primary meanings: "Buddha" and "France." It originated as a simplified form of 佛 (Buddha), depicting a person standing with bowed head, and was later adopted to represent France.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 仏教 (Bukkyō) - Buddhism
日本では仏教が広く信仰されている。
"Buddhism is widely practiced in Japan."
2. 仏像 (butsuzō) - Buddhist statue
寺院で美しい仏像を見た。
"I saw a beautiful Buddhist statue at the temple."
3. 仏語 (Futsu-go) - French language
彼は仏語を勉強している。
"He is studying French."
4. 日仏 (Nichi-Futsu) - Japan-France
日仏関係は良好だ。
"Japan-France relations are good."
In summary, 仏 uniquely represents both spiritual Buddhism (仏教, 仏像) and the country of France (仏語, 日仏), reflecting its dual historical development in Japanese culture.