干し草
hoshikusa
In Japanese, the word for hay is 干し草 (hoshikusa).
干し草 refers to grass that has been cut and dried specifically to be used as animal fodder.
Meaning: grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish 干し草 from 藁, which refers specifically to straw, such as the stalks of grain like rice used for bedding or crafts.
How do you pronounce it?
hoshikusa
Did you know?
- While 干し草 is the technical term for hay, Japanese folklore often associates the general idea of dried grass with shimenawa, the sacred straw ropes used at Shinto shrines to mark a holy space.
- The word 干し is used in many common Japanese foods, such as hoshigaki (dried persimmons), showing that the same concept of 'drying' used for hay is fundamental to the Japanese diet.
- The term 干し草 is rarely used in urban Japan because the country's historical reliance on rice straw 藁 meant that traditional Japanese livestock farming differed from Western hay-based systems.
Examples in context
- 干し草は馬用です。Hay is for horses.This sentence shows the use of 干し草 in relation to horses.Tatoeba #2137190 by bunbuku, translation #1349601 by Spamster
- これは、干し草？それとも藁？Is this hay or straw?This sentence is useful for distinguishing between the terms 干し草 and 藁.Tatoeba #10612892 by small_snow, translation #10610454 by AlanF_US
- 農夫は荷馬車の上へ干し草を放り上げた。The farmer pitched the hay onto the wagon.This sentence illustrates a farmer using 干し草 with a wagon.Tatoeba #121689 by mookeee, translation #282316 by CM
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Hello, how are you?
- おはよう！今日は何しようか？Hey, good morning! What should we do today?
- やあ、元気してた？Hey, how have you been?
- ちょっと、遊ぼうよ！Hey, let's hang out!
Example conversation
A small farm where a woman is checking the supplies.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、この干し草は足りるかな？Yui, kono hoshikusa wa tariru kana?Yui, will this hay be enough?
- 結衣 Yui大丈夫ですよ、蓮さん。Daijoubu desu yo, Ren-san.It will be fine, Ren.
- 蓮 Ren明日、もっと干し草を買いに行こう。Ashita, motto hoshikusa o kai ni ikou.Let's go buy more hay tomorrow.
- 結衣 Yui分かりました。準備しておきますね。Wakarimashita. Junbi shite okimasu ne.Understood. I will get ready.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
