土
tsuchi[t͡sɨ̥t͡ɕi]
The English word 'dirt' can be translated into Japanese as 土 (tsuchi) or ダート.
Meaning: soil or earth (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 土 | tsuchi | [t͡sɨ̥t͡ɕi] (narrow) [do̞] (narrow) |
| ダート | dāto | [da̠ːto̞] (narrow) |
The term 土 is used when referring to the substance of the ground, gardening or the elemental concept of earth. It is the standard, natural term for soil, earth or dirt in general contexts.
Which one should you use?
土 is the natural term for soil or earth in a general or gardening context. In contrast, ダート is a loanword from English and is primarily used in specific contexts such as video games or horse racing (referring to dirt tracks).
How do you pronounce it?
tsuchi
Did you know?
- While 土 means 'dirt' or 'soil', it is also the character used for Saturday, 土曜日, because it represents the planet Saturn.
- While 土 refers to the substance of the earth, the word 'dirt' as in 'filth' or 'uncleanliness' is usually expressed with 汚れ (yogore) rather than 土.
- In certain contexts, the character 土 can appear as part of the phonetic spelling for 'Turkey', specifically in the historical abbreviation 土耳古 (Toruko).
Examples in context
- 土いじりは好きかい？Do you like playing in the dirt?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's interest in playing with 土.Tatoeba #10007151 by Sim5634, translation #10109448 by deltadave
- 土を手持ちで1スタック持っていれば、地下で暗闇に入ってしまったときに、ブロックを縦に積み上げて脱出することができます。Always have a stack of dirt handy, so if you’re in a tight spot underground, you can nerd pole your way up and out.This sentence is useful for explaining how to use a stack of 土 to escape an underground area.Tatoeba #10066494 by h_aibe, translation #10059497 by DJ_Saidez
- この土はとても柔らかいです。Kono tsuchi wa totemo yawarakai desu.This soil is very soft.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are gardening in the backyard.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、ここに土を入れてね。Hiroto, koko ni tsuchi o irete ne.Hiroto, please put the dirt here.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。どのくらいの量が必要？Wakatta. Dono kurai no ryou ga hitsuyou?Got it. How much do you need?
- 美咲 Misakiこの鉢がいっぱいになるまでお願い。Kono hachi ga ippai ni naru made onegai.Until this pot is full, please.
- 大翔 Hiroto了解。今入れるよ。Ryoukai. Ima ireru yo.Roger. I'll put it in now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirt” translations and entries 土, ダート, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ダート, 土, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
