芝生

• Reading: しばふ
• Romaji: shibafu
• Kanji breakdown: 芝 (shiba) — lawn grass, turf; 生 (fu) — growth, life (irregular reading in this compound)
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.ba.ɸɯ/

Meaning

Lawn; grass; turf. An area of short, cultivated grass.

A noun referring to a maintained area of grass, commonly found in parks, gardens, and sports grounds. 芝生 specifically refers to cultivated grass kept short, distinct from wild grass (草). You will often see signs like 芝生に入らないでください (Please do not walk on the lawn) in Japanese parks.

Examples

1. 公園の芝生に座ってお弁当を食べた。 We sat on the lawn in the park and ate our lunch.
2. 芝生に入らないでくださいという看板がある。 There's a sign that says 'Please do not walk on the lawn.
3. 庭の芝生を週末に手入れする。 I take care of the lawn in the yard on weekends.

Usage Guide

Context: parks, gardening, outdoors

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 芝 (lawn grass, turf) and 生 (to grow, life). Together they describe grass that grows in a cultivated lawn.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal