鍬(くわ)

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

Traditional tool

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

Usage

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 note

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

Related words

Related Words

Related: 鋤(すき) (plow)
Related: 農具(のうぐ) (farming tools)
Related: スコップ (shovel)
Related: 耕(たがや)す (to cultivate)
general
Added 2026.1.25 20:40 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
08000/08280_kuwa