桜(さくら)

さくら
noun
cherry blossom, cherry tree
1. cherry blossom
The flower of the cherry tree.
桜(さくら)が咲(さ)いた。
The cherry blossoms bloomed.
桜(さくら)を見(み)に行(い)く。
To go see cherry blossoms.
桜(さくら)が散(ち)り始(はじ)めた。
The cherry blossoms started falling.
桜(さくら)の下(した)で花見(はなみ)をした。
We had a flower-viewing party under the cherry blossoms.
満開(まんかい)の桜(さくら)は美(うつく)しい。
Cherry blossoms in full bloom are beautiful.
2. cherry tree
A tree that produces cherry blossoms.
公園(こうえん)に桜(さくら)がたくさん(たくさん)ある。
There are many cherry trees in the park.
庭(にわ)に桜(さくら)を植(う)えた。
I planted a cherry tree in the garden.
この桜(さくら)は百年(ひゃくねん)も生(い)きている。
This cherry tree has lived for a hundred years.
桜(さくら)の木(き)の下(した)でお弁当(べんとう)を食(た)べた。
We ate our lunch under the cherry tree.
川沿(かわぞ)いに桜(さくら)が並(なら)んでいる。
Cherry trees line the riverside.

桜(さくら) refers to both the cherry tree and its blossoms. It is Japan's unofficial national flower and deeply embedded in the culture.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 桜(さくら)が咲(さ)く: cherry blossoms bloom
  • 桜(さくら)が散(ち)る: cherry blossoms fall/scatter
  • 桜(さくら)並木(なみき): row of cherry trees
  • 桜(さくら)吹雪(ふぶき): flurry of falling petals

CULTURE:

  • 花見(はなみ): cherry blossom viewing, a spring tradition of picnicking under the trees
  • 桜前線(さくらぜんせん): the cherry blossom front, tracked on weather forecasts as it moves north from late March to May
  • 満開(まんかい): full bloom, the peak viewing period

SYMBOLISM:
Cherry blossoms symbolize the beauty and transience of life. The brief blooming period connects to the aesthetic of 儚(はかな)さ (fleeting beauty).

NOTE: When 花(はな) (flower) appears alone in classical or poetic contexts, it often refers specifically to cherry blossoms.

Related Words

Related: 梅(うめ) (plum blossom)
basic
Added 2026.1.9 21:37 · Revised 2026.4.2 15:19
02000/02212_sakura