星(ほし)

ほし
noun
star
nature
1. star
A luminous point in the night sky.
星(ほし)がきれいだ。
The stars are beautiful.
空(そら)に星(ほし)がたくさん見(み)える。
Many stars are visible in the sky.
山(やま)の上(うえ)から見(み)る星(ほし)はとてもきれいだ。
The stars seen from the mountaintop are very beautiful.
夏(なつ)の夜(よる)に父(ちち)と外(そと)に出(で)て、一緒(いっしょ)に星(ほし)を見(み)るのが楽(たの)しい。
On summer nights, it's fun to go outside with my father and look at the stars together.
子供(こども)の時(とき)、毎年(まいとし)夏(なつ)になると父(ちち)と山(やま)に行(い)って、一緒(いっしょ)に星(ほし)を見(み)るのが楽(たの)しかった。
When I was a child, every summer I would go to the mountains with my father, and it was fun to look at the stars together.

星(ほし) refers primarily to stars visible in the night sky, not planets in scientific contexts.

Common expressions

Compounds

Usage

星(ほし) also means rating stars (三(み)つ星(ぼし) = three stars) and can refer to someone's destiny or fate in literary contexts.

Science note

In astronomy, 恒星(こうせい) (fixed star) is the technical term, while 惑星(わくせい) refers to planets.

Related Words

Related: 星空(ほしぞら) (starry sky)
Related: 星座(せいざ) (constellation)
Related: 流(なが)れ星(ぼし) (shooting star, meteor)
Compare: 惑星(わくせい) (planet — 星 in everyday use means a point of light in the night sky, not a planet)
Related: 空(そら) (sky, air)
basic
Added 2026.1.8 21:06 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:05
01500/01510_hoshi