木星

• Reading: もくせい
• Romaji: mokusei
• Kanji breakdown: 木 (moku) — wood, tree; 星 (sei) — star, planet
• Pronunciation: /mo.kɯ.seː/

Meaning

Jupiter. The fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the solar system.

A noun for the planet Jupiter. Japanese planet names follow the Chinese five-element system: 木 (wood) corresponds to Jupiter. Other planets follow the same pattern — 火星 (Mars/fire), 水星 (Mercury/water), 金星 (Venus/metal), 土星 (Saturn/earth). Knowing 木星 helps learners understand the entire set. Appears in astronomy, science education, and space exploration contexts.

Examples

1. 木星は太陽系で最も大きな惑星だ。 Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
2. 望遠鏡で木星の縞模様を観察した。 I observed Jupiter's cloud bands through a telescope.
3. 木星には七十個以上の衛星があると言われている。 It is said that Jupiter has more than seventy moons.

Usage Guide

Context: astronomy, science education, space

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 木 (moku, wood/tree) + 星 (sei, star/planet). Named after the wood element in Chinese cosmology, which was associated with Jupiter in traditional East Asian astronomy.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal