植物
shokubutsu[ɕo̞kɯ̟bɯ̟t͡sɨ]
The English word "plant" (the organism) is translated into Japanese as 植物 (shokubutsu).
植物 is the most general and widely used term for a plant in Japanese. If you are referring to the action of putting something in the ground, you should use the verb 植える instead of the noun 植物.
Meaning: to place in soil or other substrate in order that it may live and grow (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 植物 refers to plants in a general or scientific sense, the word 草 is used for smaller, non-woody plants like grass or herbs. To refer to all vegetation or greenery in a more poetic or naturalistic way, you can use the term 草木, which combines the concepts of grass and trees.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
shokubutsu
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 植物 to mean the action of putting something in the ground. Use the verb 植える for the action of planting.
Did you know?
- The word 草 (kusa), which can mean 'grass', is also used as a slang term in internet culture to represent 'laughing', much like 'lol' in English.
- When referring to a factory or industrial plant, Japanese uses 工場 instead of 植物, as the two meanings are entirely separate.
- The word 植物 is derived from Middle Chinese 植物, showing the ancient linguistic influence of China on Japanese botanical terminology.
Examples in context
- この植物は食べられる。This plant is good to eat.This sentence shows how to describe a plant using 植物.Tatoeba #221065 by bunbuku, translation #58387 by CM
- ビオラは耐寒性植物だよ。The viola is a cold-resistant plant.Tatoeba #10650879 by small_snow, translation #10748805 by terrywallwork
- この植物は絶滅の危機にある。This plant is endangered.Tatoeba #9848215 by small_snow, translation #8405423 by Amastan
- 私は植物が大好きです。I love plants.
- 田舎の庭には美しい草木が生えていました。Beautiful plants were growing in the countryside garden.
- この植物はとてもキレイですね！This plant is very beautiful, isn't it?
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are gardening together in their backyard.
- 健太 Kentaこの植物をどこに植えればいい？Kono shokubutsu o doko ni uereba ii?Where should I plant this plant?
- 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 over there in the sunny spot.
- 健太 Kenta分かった。この植物は水が好きなのかな？Wakatta. Kono shokubutsu wa mizu ga suki na no kana?Got it. I wonder if this plant likes water?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、たくさん水をあげてね。Un, takusan mizu o agete ne.Yes, please give it plenty of water.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 植物, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 植物, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
