さざれ石いし

さ

ざ

れ

い

し

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

pebbles; gravel; small stones

Refers to small, loose stones or pebbles, often found in nature. The term is somewhat poetic and appears in the Japanese national anthem 'Kimigayo'.

川原かわらでさざれ石いしを拾ひろった。

I picked up pebbles at the riverbank.

庭にわにさざれ石いしを敷しき詰つめた。

I covered the garden with gravel.

2

noun

conglomerate rock; boulder formed from pebbles and sediment

A geological term for a rock made of cemented pebbles and sediment. This sense is less common in everyday language and is more technical.

この崖がけはさざれ石いしでできている。
This cliff is made of conglomerate rock.

Kanji

石stone
細dainty, get thin, taper

Related words

小こ石いし
小石 is a more common, everyday word for 'small stone' or 'pebble', while さざれ石 has a slightly more poetic or formal nuance.
砂利じゃり
砂利 specifically refers to gravel used for construction or paths, whereas さざれ石 can refer to natural pebbles or conglomerate rock.

Written forms

さざれ石いしUsage100%
Most common spelling, using the standard kanji 石 for 'stone'.
細石さざれいし
Alternate kanji spelling; 細 means 'small' or 'fine'. Less common than さざれ石.
細さざれ石いし
Rare variant with okurigana れ; not widely used.

Etymology

The word さざれ (sazare) is an old Japanese term meaning 'small' or 'fine', and 石 (ishi) means 'stone'. The exact origin of さざれ is uncertain, but it may be related to the mimetic word さざめく (to be noisy or bustling), suggesting the sound of small stones clattering.