How to say "hoe" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 鍬くわnounThe common word for the tool itself: the long-handled implement with a metal blade, used to break up soil or for weeding. Reach for this whenever you mean the physical hoe.
- nounNot the garden tool: this loanword names the Korean dish of raw fish or meat, whose Korean name is romanized 'hoe' — hence the shared spelling. Never the word you want for the implement.
- 鋤くすくgodan verb, transitive verbA less common verb for working the soil — to plough, till, or hoe it. Use this when 'hoe' is an action rather than the implement, as in preparing a field or garden bed.
For the garden tool, use 鍬; for the action of breaking up or tilling soil, the verb 「鋤く」; 「フェ」 is not the tool at all but a Korean dish of raw fish or meat.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
