Japanese word

土手

Pronunciation

Romajidote

Meaning

  • nounbank

Example

川の土手を歩きます。kawa no do te o aru ki ma su

I walk along the riverbank.

Illustration for 土手 (bank)

More examples

大雨で土手の一部が崩れました。ō ame de do te no ichi bu ga kuzu re ma shi ta

Part of the bank collapsed in the heavy rain.

Core concept

Refers to an earthen ridge built along water or a road, often serving as a boundary or walkway.

Common phrases

  • 土手が崩れるdo te ga kuzu re ru

    the bank collapses

  • 土手を補強するdo te o ho kyō su ru

    reinforce the embankment

Similar words

堤防teibō: A raised structure built to hold back water and protect nearby land from flooding.
堤tsutsumi: An embankment built to hold back water or separate areas.

Definition in Japanese

水の流れや道に沿って土を盛り上げて作った堤や高まり。mizu no naga re ya michi ni so tte tsuchi o mo ri a ge te tsuku tta tsutsumi ya taka ma ri

Word origin

The native Japanese noun 土手 (dote, "embankment") combines 土 (do, "earth") and 手 (te, "hand"), although the historical reason for this compound is not certain.

Usage tips

  • A riverbank in English may be natural, but 土手 (dote) commonly brings to mind a raised structure made by piling up earth.

Other meanings

  • embankmentnoun

Word lists with this word