Japanese word

石

Pronunciation

Romajiishi

Meaning

  • nounstone

Example

道で石を拾いました。michi de ishi o hiro i ma shi ta

I picked up a stone on the road.

Illustration for 石 (stone)

More examples

靴の中に小さな石が入っていました。kutsu no naka ni chii sa na ishi ga hai tte i ma shi ta

There was a small pebble in my shoe.

Core concept

Names a hard natural mass found on or under the ground, whether it is small enough to pick up or large enough to be called a rock.

Common phrases

  • 石を拾うishi o hiro u

    pick up a stone

  • 石を投げるishi o na ge ru

    throw a stone

  • 石を置くishi o o ku

    place a stone

Similar words

岩iwa: A large hard natural mass that forms part of the ground.
石ころishikoro: A casual word for a small ordinary piece of hard natural material.

Definition in Japanese

地面や地中などにある、硬くて容易には形を変えられない鉱物質のかたまり。ji men ya chi chū na do ni a ru kata ku te yō i ni wa katachi o ka e ra re na i kō butsu shitsu no ka ta ma ri

Word origin

石 (ishi) is a native Japanese word, while the character 石 was borrowed from the Chinese writing system to represent it.

Usage tips

  • Everyday Japanese often uses 石 (ishi) where English may choose either "stone" or "rock", so size alone does not determine the English translation.

Other meanings

  • rocknoun
  • pebblenoun

Related words

  • 石ころishikoropebblenoun

Word lists with this word