Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 庭 | niwa | [ɲ̟iβ̞a̠] (narrow) |
| 庭園 | teien | [te̞ːẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 花園 | hanazono | [ha̠na̠zo̞no̞] (narrow) |
In Japanese, several words describe a garden depending on its nature and the context of your speech. 庭 is the most general term for a garden of any size or style. For a more specific area, 庭先 refers to the space immediately outside a property while still remaining within its boundaries. If you want to speak with a more respectful and polite tone, even in informal settings, you can add the honorific prefix to create お庭.
What does it mean word for word?
The literary term 花園 is a combination of 花, meaning flower and 園, meaning garden or park.
Which one should you use?
While 庭 is used for typical residential gardens or backyards, 庭園 is the term used for large, formal or professionally designed gardens, such as those found at public parks or temples. The term 花園 specifically means a flower garden and is used in poetic or literary contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
niwa
Did you know?
- The concept of 'borrowed scenery', or 借景 (shakkei), involves designing a 庭園 so that a distant mountain or building outside the property appears to be part of the garden.
- In some traditional Japanese styles, a 'dry garden' or 枯山水 (karesansui) uses raked gravel and rocks to represent water and islands without using any actual water.
- Japanese gardens often include a つくばい (tsukubai), a low water basin that forces a visitor to crouch, symbolizing humility before entering a tea garden.
Examples in context
- 庭に水をまこう。I'll water the garden.This sentence shows how to use 庭 when discussing watering a garden.Tatoeba #125511 by small_snow, translation #278480 by CK
- トムは庭にいる？Is Tom in the garden?This sentence shows how to use 庭 when asking about someone's location.Tatoeba #8735772 by bunbuku, translation #6048285 by CK
- 私は庭で遊びます。I'm playing in the garden.This sentence shows how to use 庭 when describing an activity taking place in a garden.Tatoeba #2786084 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #2785223 by sundown
- この庭園は、美しい景観と和の雰囲気で有名です。This garden is famous for its beautiful scenery and serene atmosphere.
- 彼女の家の庭には、美しい花がたくさん咲いています。Her house has many beautiful flowers blooming in the garden.
- 友達と庭でバーベキューをしました。I had a barbecue with friends in the garden.
- お庭に新しい花を植えました。I planted new flowers in the garden.
- 庭先にカフェテーブルを置いて、読書を楽しみました。I placed a cafe table in the garden and enjoyed reading.
- 172 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking about their new house.
- 結衣 Yuiこの家は庭がとても広いですね。Kono ie wa niwa ga totemo hiroi desu ne.The garden of this house is very spacious, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。ここに花を植えたいな。Sou da ne. Koko ni hana o uetai na.You're right. I want to plant some flowers here.
- 結衣 Yui私も手伝うよ。きれいな庭にしよう。Watashi mo tetsudau yo. Kirei na niwa ni shiyou.I'll help too. Let's make it a beautiful garden.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう、結衣。楽しみだね。Arigatou, Yui. Tanoshimi da ne.Thank you, Yui. I'm looking forward to it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garden” translations and entries 庭, 庭園, 花園, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
