園・苑・薗|そのsono[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Which spelling to use
園園 is the most common written form for this entry and the appropriate default for beginners; it is written entirely in kanji.
苑苑 is a less common written form of this entry, written entirely in kanji; recognize it as a variant, but choose 園 as the beginner default.
薗薗 is a rarely used written form of this entry, written entirely in kanji; learners will seldom need to choose it instead of 園.
Definitions
  1. noungarden; orchard; park
  2. nounplace; world; environment
Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym庭園ていえんWrittenA landscaped garden with trees, ponds and the like, as in 「日本庭園」— the ordinary word for a real garden. 「園」(その) is literary, mostly in figurative phrases like 「学びの園」.
  • SynonymガーデンNeutralLoanword for a garden; common in names of facilities and shops, as in 「ビアガーデン」, and sounds Western. 「園」 is an elegant, literary word.
  • SynonymパークNeutralLoanword for a park or amusement park, and also for parking, as in 「テーマパーク」. 「園」 is literary, for gardens in verse or figurative places.
  • Related庭にわNeutralThe yard or garden around or inside a house; the most common everyday word. 「園」 is elegant, found in poetry and figurative uses like 「学びの園」.
  • Related公園こうえんNeutralA public park, as in 「近所の公園」; a common everyday word. 「園」 on its own leans written and formal.
  • Related緑地りょくちWrittenLand thick with trees and plants, common in planning terms like 「緑地帯」. 「園」 is a garden planted with flowers, fruit trees or vegetables.
  • Related園地えんちWrittenLand set aside as a park or garden; a written, administrative term. In everyday speech say 「公園」 or 「庭園」.
  • Related前栽せんざいWrittenFlowers and trees planted around a house; an archaic, elegant word that is rarely used. In everyday speech say 「庭」.

「園」 is an elegant word for a garden of flowers, trees or crops, or for a place, as in 「花の園」 and 「学びの園」. For an everyday yard use 「庭」, for a landscaped garden 「庭園」, for a public park 「公園」; ガーデン and パーク suit names, the rest are rare or written terms.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 《庭園ていえん、農業のうぎょう》(園その、苑えん) 果樹かじゅ・草花くさばな・野菜やさいなどを植うえた一いち区画くかくの土地とち。園生えんせい。庭園ていえん。
  2. 《転義てんぎ》(園その、苑えん) ある物事ものごとが行おこなわれる場所ばしょ。また、ある特定とくていの場所ばしょ。
  3. 《日本にっぽん史し》[古義こぎ](園えん/薗その) 古代こだい・中世ちゅうせいの、律令りつりょう国家こっか・日本にっぽんにおける、畠地はたち^((はくち))(畑地はたち)の一いち形態けいたい。律令りつりょう用語ようごで「園えん/薗その^((その))」および「園地えんち/薗その地ち^((えんち))」は、元来がんらい、「水稲すいとう以外いがいのものを栽培さいばいする土地とち」を意味いみしていたが、「土地とちの多少たしょうに従したがって国民こくみんに均等きんとうに班給はんきゅうする公おおやけの耕地こうち」を指さすようになり、そこでは桑くわ・漆うるしの栽培さいばいを奨励しょうれいしていた。使用しよう世帯せたいが絶ぜっ戸ととなった場合ばあいは還公された。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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