土 means “earth, soil”

つち · tsuchi

Also: ground, Turkey

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): つち
On'yomi (Chinese reading): ド, ト

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 1 · 3 strokes

The story

From the earth grow rice paddies that have fed Japan for millennia, the foundation of culture.

One of the five elements; also Saturday in Japanese

Where it comes from

Pictographic (象形文字): A mound of earth rising from the ground.

The ancient form showed a mound of earth sitting on flat ground. The bottom stroke is the ground line, and the vertical stroke topped by the upper horizontal is the mound of soil rising up.

To remember it: A cross stuck in the ground, like a plant marker in a garden, sitting in the earth.

Its parts

土 Earth · Entire character

A cross shape showing something growing from the ground: earth

Words with 土

風土 (ふうど, fuudo): climate and culture
土石 (どせき, doseki): earth and stones

Example sentences

土曜日に公園に行きます。 I go to the park on Saturday.
庭の土は柔らかいです。 The soil in the garden is soft.

Kanji that look like 土

士 (samurai / warrior): 土 has a longer bottom stroke (wide earth), 士 has a longer top stroke (broad shoulders)
王 (king): 王 adds a middle horizontal stroke: a king wears a crown

More from Nature's Poetry

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