土星

• Reading: どせい
• Romaji: dosei
• Kanji breakdown: 土 (do) — earth, soil; 星 (sei) — star, planet
• Pronunciation: /do.seː/

Meaning

Saturn; the sixth planet from the Sun, known for its prominent ring system.

A noun referring to the planet Saturn. In the Japanese naming system for planets, each is associated with one of the five Chinese elements: 土星 uses 土 (earth/soil). The other planets follow the same pattern: 水星 (Mercury/water), 金星 (Venus/metal), 火星 (Mars/fire), 木星 (Jupiter/wood). Saturn is famous for its rings (土星の輪) and appears in both scientific and popular culture contexts.

Examples

1. 土星は太陽系で二番目に大きい惑星だ。 Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system.
2. 望遠鏡で土星の輪を観察するのが夢だった。 It was my dream to observe Saturn's rings through a telescope.
3. 子供が宇宙に興味を持って土星について調べている。 My child has become interested in space and is researching Saturn.

Usage Guide

Context: astronomy, science, education, trivia

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 土 (do, earth — one of the five Chinese elements) + 星 (sei, star/planet). Named after the element earth in the Chinese five-element (五行) system, corresponding to the day Saturday (土曜日).

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal