雑草

• Reading: ざっそう
• Romaji: zasso
• Kanji breakdown: 雑 (zatsu/zo) — miscellaneous, mixed; 草 (so/kusa) — grass, plant
• Pronunciation: /zas.soː/

Meaning

Weed; weeds. Unwanted or uncultivated plants growing in gardens, fields, or among crops.

A noun that literally means 'miscellaneous grasses.' Beyond its botanical usage, 雑草 is frequently used metaphorically to describe resilient, tenacious people or spirits — the phrase 雑草のように生きる (to live like a weed) praises toughness and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Examples

1. 梅雨が明けると畑は雑草に覆われ、除草が追いつかなくなった。 Once the rainy season ended, the field was covered in weeds and the weeding could not keep up.
2. 何度刈っても雑草はすぐに生えてくる、その生命力に驚かされる。 No matter how many times they are cut back, weeds spring up again immediately — their vitality is astonishing.
3. 雑草のようにしぶとく生き続ける姿を見て、人々は彼を称えた。 Seeing him persist stubbornly like a weed, people praised his tenacity.

Usage Guide

Context: gardening, agriculture, figurative speech

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 雑 (miscellaneous, mixed) and 草 (grass, plant). Together they denote undesirable or indiscriminate vegetation growing outside of cultivation.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal