Recognize 土 in everyday Japanese, learn its meanings (soil) and read it as part of complete words.

The idea

A kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on); learn each reading with its word. Compare 土（つち） and 土曜日（どようび） in the table. 土 has 3 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
土つちsoil; earth
土曜日どようびSaturday
土地とちland; plot
土の中つちのなかin the soil

Examples

  • 土曜日どようびに図書館としょかんへ行いきます。I go to the library on Saturday.
  • 土つちがとてもぬれています。The soil is very wet.
  • 土つちに花はなを植うえます。I plant flowers in the soil.
  • 子こどもは土つちで遊あそびます。The child plays in the soil.
  • この土地とちは広ひろいです。This piece of land is large.
  • 水みずと土つちが必要ひつようです。Water and soil are needed.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

土 is つち as soil but ど in 土曜日. For the look-alike 士, the upper horizontal is longer; in 土 the lower one is longer.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 土 in hiragana.

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    つち

    土 is read つち; the whole expression means soil; earth. 土 is used here as a word on its own.

  2. Write the reading of 土曜日 in hiragana.

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    どようび

    土曜日 is read どようび; the whole expression means Saturday. In this word 土 is read ど.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿曜日（どようび）.

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    土

    土 completes 土曜日, which is read どようび. The completed expression means Saturday.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 土 from memory, and read 土 and 土曜日 aloud. Then check both readings and meanings.