園その

そ

の

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

noun

garden; orchard; park

A cultivated outdoor space with plants, trees, or flowers. Can refer to a private garden, a public park, or an orchard.

子こ供どもたちは園そので遊

あそ

ん

で

いる

。

The children are playing in the garden.

この園そのには桜さくらの木きがたくさんある。

There are many cherry trees in this park.

2

noun

place; world; environment

Metaphorical use for a bounded space or realm, often in set phrases like 学びの園 (place of learning). Not freely productive.

Expressions

女おんなの園そのwoman's world; feminine environment
学まなびの園そのeducational institution; school
紅くれないは園その生うに植うえても隠かくれなしgood wine needs no bush; talent stands out

Kanji

園park, garden, yard
苑garden, farm, park
薗garden, yard, farm

Related words

庭にわN5sense 1
庭 is the common word for a garden or yard attached to a house, while 園 is a broader, more literary term for larger cultivated areas or metaphorical places.
公こう園えんN5sense 1
公園 specifically means a public park for everyday use, while 園 is a broader, more literary word that often appears inside compound names like 花園 or 桃園.

Counted with

箇か所しょN2
Used when counting 園 as a location or facility, like a park or garden.

Word family

花はな園ぞの
flower garden
桃もも園ぞの
peach orchard
竹たけの園その
bamboo garden · Imperial family
竹たけの園その生う
bamboo garden; the imperial family

Written forms

園そのUsage69%
Standard kanji spelling for garden, park, orchard, and metaphorical places.
そのUsage25%
苑そのUsage3%
Variant kanji, mainly seen in proper nouns or literary contexts.
薗そのUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

The kanji 園 is a phono-semantic compound: 囗 (enclosure) + 袁 (phonetic). The reading その is a native Japanese word for a garden or cultivated field. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.