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Kotomora

俗

vulgar, customs, manners, worldliness, mundane things

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • ゾク

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

俗 centers on the ordinary, everyday world of common people: customs, manners, and mundane things. The sense of vulgarity comes from the idea of being unrefined or worldly rather than elevated.

Most common words using 俗

20 of 160
  • 風俗ふうぞく
    N1

    manners; customs

  • 俗ぞく

    layman (esp. as opposed to a Buddhist monk); laity; man of the world; the world

  • 民俗みんぞく
    N1

    folk customs; folkways; ethnic customs

  • 世俗せぞく

    worldly things; common customs; ordinary life; popular taste

  • 低俗ていぞく

    vulgar; lowbrow; coarse

  • 公序良俗こうじょりょうぞく

    public order and morals; social standards; public policy

  • 俗物ぞくぶつ

    worldly-minded person; materialist; uncultured person; philistine; vulgar person; snob

  • 俗称ぞくしょう

    common name; popular name

  • 俗説ぞくせつ

    common saying; popular version; folklore; tradition

  • 俗語ぞくご
    N1

    colloquialism; colloquial language; slang

  • 俗世ぞくせ

    this world; everyday world; earthly existence; mundane life

  • 通俗つうぞく

    popular; common

  • 習俗しゅうぞく

    manners and customs; folkways; usage

  • 俗悪ぞくあく

    vulgar; coarse; lowbrow

  • 還俗げんぞく

    return to secular life (of a monk); secularization; secularisation

  • 俗っぽいぞくっぽい

    vulgar; in poor taste; cheap; low-brow

  • 卑俗ひぞく

    vulgar; coarse; low

  • 俗人ぞくじん

    person with low tastes; uncultured person; worldly person

  • 通俗的つうぞくてき
    N1

    popular; common; commonplace

  • 俗にぞくに

    commonly (called, said, etc.); popularly; colloquially; in common parlance

Explore all words using 俗 →

Study

Etymology

俗 combines 亻 (person) with 谷 (valley), suggesting the common ways of people in the valleys—everyday customs and worldly matters.

Meaning mnemonic

A person 亻 in the valley 谷 represents the common folk and their everyday customs. The valley is where ordinary life happens, away from the refined heights.

Reading mnemonic

For ゾク, imagine a zoku (a made-up word for a group of common people) gathering in the valley to share their customs: zoku -> ゾク.