低木
teiboku
In Japanese, the word for bush can be expressed in several ways. The default form is 低木 (teiboku). Wiktionary also lists 灌木 (kanboku) and 茂み (shigemi).
Meaning: category of woody plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 低木 | teiboku | |
| 灌木 | kanboku | [kã̠mbo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 茂み | shigemi | [ɕiɡe̞mʲi] (narrow) |
You might use a technical term to classify a type of plant, or a descriptive term to refer to a physical cluster of vegetation. Additionally, the katakana transcription ブッシュ is used specifically for foreign proper nouns, such as the surname Bush.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 低木 (teiboku) is composed of 低 (low) and 木 (tree/wood), literally meaning 'low tree'.
Which one should you use?
The term 低木 (teiboku) is a technical botanical term used to classify a plant by its growth habit (low woody plant), whereas 茂み (shigemi) refers to a cluster of growing plants. While 低木 refers to the biological category of the plant, 茂み refers to the physical mass or thicket of vegetation that one might hide behind or find something in.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
teiboku
Did you know?
- If you use the katakana word ブッシュ (busshu) to describe a plant, a Japanese person will likely think you are talking about a foreign surname.
- If a 'bush' is specifically part of a manicured hedge, a Japanese speaker would use the word 生垣 (ikegaki) instead of 低木.
- The word 茂み is derived from the stem of the classical adjective 繁し (shigeshi) and the continuative suffix み (-mi).
Examples in context
- 我々は盗まれたバッグをこの茂みで見つけた。We found the stolen bag in this bush.This sentence shows how to use 茂み when locating an object.Tatoeba #185659 by bunbuku, translation #22791 by CK
- 何かが茂みの後ろで動いている。Something is moving behind the bush.This sentence shows how to use 茂み when describing movement behind vegetation.Tatoeba #1871899 by marcelostockle, translation #1871897 by marcelostockle
- 彼は負傷した兵士を近くの茂みまで引っ張って行った。He pulled the wounded soldier to the nearby bush.This sentence shows how to use 茂み when describing a location for a person.Tatoeba #100325 by sigfrido, translation #303372 by CM
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are gardening in their backyard.
- 陽太 Yotaこの低木をどこに植えましょうか。Kono teiboku o doko ni uemashō ka.Where shall we plant this bush?
- 美咲 Misakiあそこの日当たりのいい場所にしてください。Asoko no hiatari no ii basho ni shite kudasai.Please put it in that sunny spot over there.
- 陽太 Yotaこの低木は寒さに強いですか。Kono teiboku wa samusa ni tsuyoi desu ka.Is this bush resistant to the cold?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、冬でも大丈夫だと思います。Hai, fuyu demo daijōbu da to omoimasu.Yes, I think it will be fine even in winter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bush” translations and entries 低木, 灌木, 茂み, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 茂み, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
