A physical barrier or enclosure, often made of wood, bamboo, or plants, used around houses, gardens, or fields.
We put up a fence around the garden so the cat couldn't get in.
We put a bamboo fence around the garden.
垣が道路との境になっている。
The fence forms a boundary with the road.
Figurative use for something that separates or obstructs, such as emotional distance, social barriers, or obstacles.
心の垣を取り払って話し合おう。
Let's talk openly and break down the walls between us.
言葉の垣がコミュニケーションを難しくしている。
The language barrier makes communication difficult.
After the argument, a wall grew between the two of them.
I talked with my neighbor over the fence.
塀 refers to a solid wall or fence, often of concrete, stone, or wood panels, while 垣 usually denotes a lighter, more open structure like a hedge or bamboo fence.
柵 is a simple, often temporary or functional fence or railing, whereas 垣 tends to be a more permanent or decorative enclosure.
stone wall
roofed mud wall
hedge; fence · barrier; wall; boundary
hedge; hedgerow
bamboo fence; bamboo hedge
middle fence; inner fence
wall of people; crowd of spectators; throng
friend; companion
gap in a fence or hedge; chink; opening
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news and common usage.
Rarely used kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form.
The kanji 垣 is composed of 土 (earth) and 亘 (extend), suggesting an earthen or extended barrier. The word かき is native Japanese and its exact derivation is uncertain, but it has long referred to fences and enclosures.
low fence; low wall
stone wall; natural stone wall
fence around a shrine or sacred area
cryptomeria hedge
brushwood fence
utagaki; ancient courtship song-and-dance gathering