- 弁当 — lunch box
- 弁護士 — lawyer
- 弁明 — explanation / defense
- 弁解 — excuse / justification
- 関西弁 — Kansai dialect
- 方言 — dialect
The character 「弁」 carries meanings like “to separate,” “to judge,” or “to understand.” It appears in words like benron (speech or debate) and benmei (explanation or defense), often relating to one’s ability to speak, explain, or reason. It’s also used to indicate regional speech styles, as in Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect). In the word bentō (lunch box), the character reflects the idea of sorting or organizing.
彼は 弁護士として 働いています。
He works as a lawyer.
弁当を 持って 学校へ 行きます。
I bring a lunch box to school.