草原
sōgen[so̞ːɡẽ̞ɴ]
The English word "meadow" can be translated into Japanese as 草原 (sōgen) or 草地.
Meaning: field or pasture (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 草原 | sōgen | [so̞ːɡẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) [kɯ̟sa̠ha̠ɾa̠] (narrow) |
| 草地 | kusachi | [kɯ̟̊sa̠t͡ɕi] (narrow) [so̞ːt͡ɕi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, terms for a meadow vary depending on the scale and the specific nature of the land being described.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 草原 is composed of the characters 草 (grass) and 原 (field/plain), literally meaning grassland or prairie.
Which one should you use?
草原 typically refers to a large, expansive grassland or prairie. In contrast, 草地 refers more specifically to a patch of grassy ground or a small meadow.
How do you pronounce it?
sōgen
Did you know?
- The word 草原 can be read as 'sōgen' or 'kusahara'. The 'sōgen' reading only appeared in print around 1871.
- The character 原 in 草原 specifically implies land that is wild or uncultivated, rather than a managed farm field.
- The word 草原 can be read as 'kusahara', where the second character 原 is read as 'hara' instead of its common 'gen' sound. This is a case of 'kunyomi' where Japanese readings are used for a compound that is often treated as a formal Chinese-style word.
Examples in context
- 羊が牧草地で草をはんでいた。The sheep were grazing in the meadow.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 草地 when describing where sheep are grazing.Tatoeba #78849 by small_snow, translation #324867 by pip
- この公園には美しい草地があります。This park has a beautiful meadow.
- 牛たちは牧草地でのんびりしています。The cows are relaxing in the meadow.
- 春になると草原でピクニックを楽しみます。In spring, we enjoy picnics in the meadow.
- 子供の頃、家の近くの野原で遊んでいました。I used to play in the meadow near my house when I was a child.
- この草原はとても美しいです。Kono kusahara wa totemo utsukushii desu.This meadow is very beautiful.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a scenery from a hill.
- 大翔 Hirotoあの草原が見えますか？Ano kusahara ga miemasu ka?Can you see that meadow over there?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、とても広くて綺麗ですね。Hai, totemo hirokute kirei desu ne.Yes, it is very wide and beautiful.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんは、あそこへ行きたいですか？Yui-san wa, asoko e ikitai desu ka?Yui, do you want to go there?
- 結衣 Yuiええ、ぜひ行きたいです。Ee, zehi ikitai desu.Yes, I definitely want to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meadow” translations and entries 草原, 草地, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 草原, 草地, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
