Seat character

座 means a seat or the base that supports something. In Chinese it also works as a classifier for large fixed things; Japanese uses it in words for venues and groups. Its written form is linked to 坐, an older character associated with sitting.

Text symbol

What 座 means

座 names a seat or base and can count structures. The Chinese classifier 座 is a counting word used for mountains, bridges, and buildings. 座 vs 坐: 坐 means “to sit”; 座 names a seat or base.

In pre-Han Chinese, 坐 referred to sitting and the space used for it. A first-century CE account of a Han imperial ritual honoring ancestors describes an ancestor’s designated seat as 座.

How does 座 work in Japanese?

Japanese 座 can name a venue or group. Japanese uses 座 for seats, gatherings, theatrical groups and venues, constellations, and to count mountains. Historical Japanese usage also includes trade guilds. When translating it, read the whole word: 座 does not always mean a place to sit.

Who writes 座

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Don't confuse it with

坐

CJK Unified Ideograph-5750

In Chinese, 坐 is the verb “to sit”; 座 names a seat or works as a classifier.

Questions people ask

Why does 座 show as a box on some devices?

Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.