Japanese word

桜

Pronunciation

Romajisakura

Meaning

  • nouncherry blossom

Example

春に桜を見ます。haru ni sakura o mi ma su

I see cherry blossoms in spring.

Illustration for 桜 (cherry blossom)

More examples

公園で桜の写真を撮りました。kō en de sakura no sha shin o to ri ma shi ta

I took pictures of cherry blossoms in the park.

Core concept

桜 (sakura, "cherry blossom") refers to the cherry tree or its spring flower, especially as a sign of spring in Japan.

Common phrases

  • 桜を見るsakura o mi ru

    see cherry blossoms

  • 桜が咲くsakura ga sa ku

    cherry blossoms bloom

Definition in Japanese

バラ科の落葉高木、または春に咲くその花。ba ra ka no raku yō kō boku ma ta wa haru ni sa ku so no hana

Word origin

As a native Japanese word, 桜 (sakura, "cherry blossom") is written with a kanji borrowed from Chinese, and its original etymology is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • English distinguishes cherry blossom for the flower from cherry tree for the plant, whereas 桜 (sakura, "cherry blossom") can refer to either.

Other meanings

  • cherry treenoun

Word lists with this word