カラマツ

か

ら

ま

つ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

Japanese larch; Larix kaempferi

usually written using kana alone

A deciduous conifer native to Japan, often planted for timber and as an ornamental tree.

カラマツは秋あきに黄こう葉ようする。
The Japanese larch turns yellow in autumn.
この山やまにはカラマツの林はやしが広ひろがっている。
A forest of Japanese larch spreads across this mountain.

Written forms

カラマツUsage47%
kana-only spelling
The word is usually written in kana; this katakana form is common in botanical contexts.
唐から松まつUsage28%
Kanji form using 唐; less common than kana.
落葉松Usage22%
- からまつ
  Kanji form literally meaning 'deciduous pine'; the reading らくようしょう is also possible but rare.
- らくようしょう
からまつUsage3%
Hiragana spelling, also common.
らくようしょう

Kanji

唐T'ang, China, foreign
松pine tree
落fall, drop, come down
葉leaf, plane, lobe

Similar words

松まつ
松 is a general term for pine trees, which are evergreen, while カラマツ is a deciduous larch.

Etymology

The name カラマツ likely derives from 唐 (kara, 'Chinese' or 'foreign') + 松 (matsu, 'pine'), though the tree is native to Japan. The exact origin is uncertain.