Japanese word

まく

Pronunciation

Romajimaku

Meaning

  • verbscatter

Example

庭に肥料をまきます。niwa ni hi ryō o ma ki ma su

I scatter fertilizer in the garden.

Illustration for まく (scatter)

More examples

春に花の種をまきます。haru ni hana no tane o ma ki ma su

I sow flower seeds in spring.

Core concept

Describes spreading material over an area rather than placing it in one concentrated spot.

Common phrases

  • 種をまくtane o ma ku

    sow seeds

  • 肥料をまくhi ryō o ma ku

    scatter fertilizer

  • 水をまくmizu o ma ku

    sprinkle water

Similar words

散らすchirasu: To spread separate things over an area so that they are no longer together.
ばらまくbaramaku: To scatter something widely, often without placing it carefully.
散布するsanpusuru: To distribute a substance over a wide area, often with a tool.

Definition in Japanese

肥料や種などを、広い範囲に散らして置く。hi ryō ya tane na do o hiro i han i ni chi ra shi te o ku

Word origin

まく (maku) is an old native Japanese verb whose recorded sense includes scattering and sowing, while 撒く (maku, "scatter") is a later kanji spelling rather than the word's source.

Usage tips

  • In gardening, まく (maku) covers both scattering granular fertilizer and sowing seeds, while English usually selects scatter or sow based on the object.

Other meanings

  • sowverb
  • sprinkleverb
  • strewverb

Opposites

Related words

  • まき方makikataway of scatteringnoun

Word lists with this word