土・地|つちtsuchi[2]odaka (tail-high)

1. nounearth; soil; dirt; clay; mud
   農家のうかの人ひと達たちは鋤すきで土つちを耕たがやす。↗

   Farmers turn up the soil with plows.
2. nounthe earth (historically, esp. as opposed to the heavens); the ground; the land
3. nounlow-quality torinoko-gami (containing mud)
4. noun(period of) refraining from construction in the direction of the god of the earth (in Onmyōdō)also written as 犯土, 椎, 槌

• Synonym土壌どじょうWrittenWritten term for soil in agricultural and scientific contexts; also figurative for an environment that fosters something. 「土」 is the everyday word.
• Synonym地面じめんNeutralThe ground, the earth's surface. 「土」 usually means the soil making up the ground, though it can also mean the ground itself.
• Synonym地ちNeutralRead 「じ」: the ground, land, or local area; also a fabric base or one's true nature. Mostly in compounds like 「地元」.
• Related泥どろNeutralWet, sticky mud. 「土」 covers dry and wet earth alike, so its range is broader.
• Related土地とちNeutralLand as a plot, property, or locality. 「土」 usually refers to soil as a material.
• Related大地だいちNeutralThe vast earth, set against the heavens. 「土」 centers on soil as a material but can also mean the ground.
• RelatedグラウンドNeutralA sports ground or playing field. It meets 「土」 only in the 'ground' sense and never means soil.
• Related陸地りくちNeutralLand as opposed to the sea; a geographic term. 「土」 mainly means soil as a material, though it can also mean ground or land.
• Related地じNeutralRead 「じ」: the ground, land, or local area; also a fabric base or one's true nature. Mostly in compounds like 「地元」.
• Related地べたじべたCasualColloquial for the ground or earth's surface, as in 「地べたに座る」. 「土」 centers on the soil itself.
• Antonym天てんNeutralThe sky or heavens; the traditional opposite of 「土」 in the heaven-and-earth pairing.

For soil or dirt in everyday speech, 「土」 is the default. Use 「土壌」 in scientific or formal writing, 「泥」 for wet mud, 「地面」 for the ground's surface, and 「土地」 for land as property or a locality.

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

1. （つち）地ちを構成こうせいする物質ぶっしつ。一般いっぱんに、石いしや砂すなに比くらべ、粒子りゅうしが細こまかく、湿り気しめりけを帯おびているものをさす。土壌どじょう。