(くわ)

くわ
noun
hoe; mattock
1. hoe; mattock
a farming tool with a flat blade on a long handle, used for digging, weeding, and cultivating soil
(くわ)(はたけ)(たがや)す。
To till the field with a hoe.
(くわ)()()げて(つち)()る。
To raise the hoe and dig into the soil.
祖父(そふ)(くわ)使(つか)って野菜(やさい)(そだ)てている。
My grandfather uses a hoe to grow vegetables.

TRADITIONAL TOOL:
The (くわ) is one of the most fundamental tools in traditional Japanese agriculture, used for centuries to prepare fields for planting.

USAGE:

  • (くわ)()れる (to break ground, start cultivating)
  • (くわ)()る (to swing a hoe)
  • (くわ)(たがや)す (to cultivate with a hoe)

TYPES:

  • 平鍬(ひらぐわ) (flat hoe)
  • 備中鍬(びっちゅうぐわ) (three-pronged hoe)
  • 唐鍬(とうぐわ) (heavy digging hoe)

CULTURAL:
The hoe appears in many Japanese proverbs and expressions related to farming and hard work.

RELATED:

  • (すき) (plow)
  • 農具(のうぐ) (farming tools)
  • スコップ (shovel)
  • (たがや)す (to cultivate)