枯かれ滝たき

Meanings

dried-up waterfall; dry waterfall

Refers to a waterfall that has lost its water, often seasonally or due to drought. The spelling 涸滝 is especially associated with this sense.

夏なつの終おわりには、その涸かれ滝たきは完かん全ぜんに水みずがなくなっていた。
By the end of summer, that dried-up waterfall had completely lost its water.

noun

simulated waterfall in a dry garden

A landscape feature in a Japanese dry garden (枯山水) that represents a waterfall using stones and gravel, without actual water. The spelling 枯滝 is especially associated with this sense.

この枯かれ山さん水すいの庭てい園えんには、枯かれ滝たきを表あらわす石いし組ぐみがある。
In this dry landscape garden, there is a stone arrangement representing a simulated waterfall.

Kanji

枯wither, die, dry up
滝waterfall, rapids, cascade
涸dry up, mature

Related words

枯かれ山さん水すい
枯山水 is the broader term for a dry landscape garden, while 枯滝 specifically refers to the simulated waterfall feature within such a garden.

Written forms

枯かれ滝たき
Common spelling for both senses; especially used for the dry-garden waterfall sense.
涸かれ滝たき
Preferred spelling for the dried-up waterfall sense, emphasizing waterlessness.
枯かれ滝たき
Variant with okurigana; less common but still encountered.
涸かれ滝たき
Variant with okurigana for the dried-up waterfall sense.

Etymology

Compound of 枯れ (kare, 'dried up') + 滝 (taki, 'waterfall'). The kanji 涸 specifically means 'dry up' (of water), while 枯 means 'wither' (of plants) but is also used for drying up. The spelling 枯滝 is conventional for the garden feature.