化石

• Reading: かせき
• Romaji: kaseki
• Kanji breakdown: 化 (ka) — change, transform; 石 (seki) — stone, rock
• Pronunciation: /ka.se.ki/

Meaning

Fossil. The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms found in rock.

A noun used in both scientific and everyday contexts. Commonly encountered in museums, science classes, and news about paleontological discoveries. Also used figuratively to describe something outdated or obsolete — 化石のような考え方 (fossil-like thinking). The word evokes both scientific wonder and the passage of deep geological time.

Examples

1. 博物館で恐竜の化石を見てきた。 I went to the museum to see dinosaur fossils.
2. 山の地層から古代の化石が発見された。 Ancient fossils were discovered in the rock layers of the mountain.
3. 子供のころ、化石を集めるのが好きだった。 When I was a kid, I loved collecting fossils.

Usage Guide

Context: science, museums, education

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 化 (ka, change/transform) + 石 (seki, stone). Literally 'transformed stone' — organic material that has turned to stone over millennia.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal