Most foreigners (外国人）know the word "futon" because it comes from Japanese. But a futon is very different from the Japanese meaning. This is what English-speakers think of when they hear the word "futon":
It's called a "futon" because it is a thin mattress based on (基づいた） the Japanese 布団. At first, people put the futon on a low, wooden (木造） frame, but then they started making them into sofa-beds, and now this is what most people think of when they hear the word "futon."
The best way to say 布団 is "sleeping mat". The 掛け布団 is a "quilt" or "comforter" in American English and a "duvet" in British English.
-Ed
It's called a "futon" because it is a thin mattress based on (基づいた） the Japanese 布団. At first, people put the futon on a low, wooden (木造） frame, but then they started making them into sofa-beds, and now this is what most people think of when they hear the word "futon."
The best way to say 布団 is "sleeping mat". The 掛け布団 is a "quilt" or "comforter" in American English and a "duvet" in British English.
-Ed
