noun
layperson; laity; worldly person
Primarily a Buddhist term contrasting ordinary people with monks or clergy. Also used more broadly for someone without specialized knowledge in a field.
僧侶と俗の生活は大きく異なる。
The lives of monks and laypeople are very different.
この分野では、私はまったくの俗です。
In this field, I am a complete layperson.
noun
worldly customs; common practices
Refers to the manners, fashions, or ways of ordinary society, often with a nuance of being unrefined or not elevated.
都会の俗に染まらず、田舎で静かに暮らしたい。
I want to live quietly in the countryside without being influenced by city ways.
na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Describes something widespread among ordinary people, often without negative connotation. Used in compounds like 俗に言う (commonly called).
この花は俗に「金魚草」と呼ばれている。
This flower is commonly called 'snapdragon'.
それは俗な考え方だ。
That's a common way of thinking.
na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Carries a negative judgment of being coarse, tasteless, or lacking elegance. Antonym of 雅 (が, elegance).
Antonyms: 雅 (が)
彼の趣味は俗だと言われている。
His taste is said to be vulgar.
あの看板は俗っぽいデザインだね。
That sign has a tacky design, doesn't it?
Kana spelling used when the kanji is avoided or for clarity in informal writing.
The kanji 俗 originally depicted a person in a valley, symbolizing common people. The reading ぞく is the standard Sino-Japanese on'yomi. The obsolete reading しょく is a historical variant.