noun, used as a suffix
garden; orchard; park; plantation
Suffix attached to nouns to indicate a cultivated area or facility. Common in words like 動物園 (zoo), 果樹園 (orchard), 公園 (park).
来週、家族で動物園に行く予定です。
We plan to go to the zoo with the family next week.
この辺りには果樹園
There are many orchards around here.
noun
kindergarten; nursery school; preschool
Abbreviation of 幼稚園 or 保育園. Used in casual conversation or as a short form in compound names. Not a standalone word for 'garden'.
うちの子は来年から園に通います。
Our child will start going to kindergarten next year.
園の送り迎えが大変だ。
Dropping off and picking up from preschool is tough.
The kanji 園 originally means 'enclosed garden' or 'orchard'. The abbreviation sense derives from shortening of compounds like 幼稚園.