雑草

雑草

Japanese

Kanji in this term
雑	草
ざつ > ざっ Grade: 5	そう Grade: 1
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
雜草 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
• (Tokyo) ざっそー [zàssóó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [d͡za̠sːo̞ː]

Noun

雑(ざっ)草(そう) • (zassō) ^{←ざつさう (zatusau)?} (kyūjitai 雜草)

1. weeds (unwanted plants)

   庭(にわ)の雑(ざっ)草(そう)を抜(ぬ)く

   niwa no zassō o nuku

   to weed the garden

   • 1991 July 15, Adachi, Mitsuru, “虫(むし)は虫(むし)、草(くさ)は草(くさ)の巻(まき) [Insects Are Only Insects, Grasses Are Only Grasses]”, in 虹色とうがらし(ＮＩＪＩ－ＩＲＯ　ＴＯＨＧＡＲＡＳＨＩ) [Rainbow-Colored Peppers], volume 4 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 48:

     虫(むし)は虫(むし)、草(くさ)は草(くさ)だろ。

     Mushi wa mushi, kusa wa kusa daro.

     Insects are only insects, grasses are only grasses.

     え。

     E.

     Huh?

     害(がい)虫(ちゅう)も雑(ざっ)草(そう)も人(にん)間(げん)の勝(かっ)手(て)な都(つ)合(ごう)で分(ぶん)類(るい)されたもんだろ。

     Gaichū mo zassō mo ningen no katte na tsugō de bunruisareta mon daro.

     Putting them into categories like pests or weeds is just one of people’s arbitrary means.