Japanese word

落ち葉

Pronunciation

Romajiochiba

Meaning

  • nounfallen leaves

Example

秋になると、落ち葉が道にたまります。aki ni na ru to o chi ba ga michi ni ta ma ri ma su

In autumn, fallen leaves pile up on the road.

Illustration for 落ち葉 (fallen leaves)

More examples

雨の後は、落ち葉で道が滑りやすくなります。ame no ato wa o chi ba de michi ga sube ri ya su ku na ri ma su

After the rain, roads become slippery because of fallen leaves.

Core concept

Describes leaves that have detached from a plant and lie on the ground, often forming a seasonal layer.

Common phrases

  • 落ち葉が積もるo chi ba ga tsu mo ru

    fallen leaves pile up

  • 落ち葉を集めるo chi ba o atsu me ru

    gather fallen leaves

  • 落ち葉を踏むo chi ba o fu mu

    step on fallen leaves

  • 落ち葉の山o chi ba no yama

    pile of fallen leaves

Definition in Japanese

木から落ちて地面にたまった葉。ki ka ra o chi te ji men ni ta ma tta ha

Word origin

The noun 落ち葉 (ochiba, "fallen leaves") is formed from 落ち (ochi), the connective form of 落ちる (ochiru, "to fall"), and 葉 (ha, "leaf"), with regular voicing to ba.

Usage tips

  • In English, leaf litter usually means the layer of fallen leaves covering the ground, while fallen leaves can refer to individual leaves or the layer as a whole.

Other meanings

  • falling leavesnoun
  • leaf litternoun

Word lists with this word