What is the Kanji for "Soil"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Soil", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Soil" is "土".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Tsuchi".

Its onyomi readings are "To" and "Do".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "一" means "One" and can be read as "Ichi", "Itsu", and "Hito". And The kanji "十" means "Ten" and can be read as "Juu" and "Too".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "土" mean in japanese?

"土" means "Soil".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in First Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

土曜日: "Saturday". The Japanese noun '土曜日 (どようび)' refers to the seventh day of the week, Saturday. It is one of the days that make up the standard work week in Japan. For example: I rest on Saturdays - (土曜日は休みます)。The day before Sunday - (日曜日の前の日)。

土地: "Land". The Japanese noun '土地 (とち)' means 'land'. This word refers to a particular area or piece of ground, often with regard to its ownership, use, or features. It can be used to describe a plot of land, a piece of real estate, or a specific geographical area. For example: This land belongs to my family - (この土地は私の家族のものです). The land around the lake is beautiful - (湖の周りの土地は美しい).

お土産: "Souvenir". The noun '御土産 (おみやげ)' refers to a small gift or memento that is purchased and brought back from a trip or visit to a particular place. It is a common Japanese custom to bring back お土産 for family, friends, colleagues, etc. as a way to share your experiences and show that you were thinking of them while away. An example sentence is: I brought back some local sweets as souvenirs - (地元の菓子をお土産にもってきました).

土: "Soil" or "Ground". The Japanese noun '土 (つち)' can refer to either 'soil' or 'ground'. As 'soil', it describes the upper layer of the earth's surface where plants grow. As 'ground', it refers to the surface of the earth or the floor. Some examples: The soil in my garden is very fertile - (私の庭の土は非常に肥沃です). Please pick up that item from the ground - (地面からその物を拾ってください).

土曜: "Saturday". The Japanese noun '土曜 (どよう)' refers to the day Saturday. It is one of the seven days of the week, following Friday and preceding Sunday. Some example sentences: Tomorrow is Saturday - (明日は土曜日です). I go to the park on Saturdays - (土曜日に公園に行きます).

出土: "Excavation". The noun '出土 (しゅつど)' refers to the act of unearthing or recovering archaeological artifacts from the ground. It describes the process of excavating and retrieving historical or cultural remains buried beneath the surface. This term is commonly used in the fields of archaeology and paleontology. For example: The archaeologists made an important excavation at the ancient site - (考古学者たちは、その古代遺跡で重要な出土があった). The museum displayed the artifacts that were excavated from the dig - (博物館は、発掘調査で出土した遺物を展示した).

土産: "Souvenir". The Japanese noun '土産 (みやげ)' means 'souvenir'. This word refers to a small gift or memento that is purchased during a trip or vacation and brought back home as a reminder or keepsake. It is common in Japanese culture to bring back souvenirs for family, friends, and colleagues when returning from a trip. Examples: I bought souvenirs for my friends - (友人のために土産を買いました). Do you have any souvenirs from your trip? - (旅行の土産はありますか?)

浄土: "Pure land". The Japanese word '浄土 (じょうど)' refers to the pure land, a concept in Mahayana Buddhism describing an ideal, utopian paradise where enlightened beings reside. It is seen as a realm of absolute bliss and freedom from suffering, attainable through spiritual cultivation and devotion. For example: To attain rebirth in the pure land is the goal of many Buddhists - (浄土に往生することが多くの仏教徒の目標である).

国土: "Land". The Japanese noun '国土 (こくど)' means 'land'. It refers to the territory or land that comprises a country or nation. This word is often used in the context of discussing a country's geography, natural resources, or national sovereignty. For example: The diverse landscapes of our national land - (私たちの国土の多様な風景). Protecting the land of our country - (私たちの国の国土を保護する).

風土: "Climate". The Japanese noun '風土 (ふうど)' refers to the climate, environment, or natural features of a specific geographical area. It encompasses the physical conditions such as weather, topography, and natural resources that characterize a place. This word is often used to describe how the local environment shapes the culture, customs, and way of life of the people living in that region. For example: The climate and geography of Hokkaido create a unique fuudo compared to other parts of Japan - (北海道の気候と地理は、他の地域とは異なる独特の風土を生み出している).

領土: "Territory". The Japanese noun '領土 (りょうど)' means 'territory'. It refers to an area of land that is controlled and governed by a particular country or state. This word is often used in political and geopolitical contexts when discussing national borders, land disputes, or the expansion and control of land by different nations. For example: Japan has a dispute over the Senkaku Islands territory - (日本は尖閣諸島の領土を巡って争っている). The country controls a large territory - (その国は広大な領土を支配している).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "つ" is read as "tsu". The hiragana "ち" is read as "chi". The hiragana "と" is read as "to". And The hiragana "ど" is read as "do".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.