1.
plants, vegetation, trees and grasses
A collective term for plant life in general, encompassing both grasses and trees. Often used in literary or poetic contexts to refer to nature or the natural world.
庭の草木が茂っている。
The plants in the garden are growing thick.
春になると草木が一斉に芽吹く。
When spring comes, all the plants begin to sprout at once.
長い冬が終わり、山の草木が色づき始めると、村の人々はようやく暖かい季節の訪れを感じる。
When the long winter ends and the mountain vegetation begins to take on color, the villagers finally feel the arrival of the warm season.
USAGE NOTE:
草木 literally combines 草 (grass) and 木 (tree) to mean plant life collectively. It carries a slightly literary or poetic tone compared to simply saying 植物 (plants).
The fixed expression 草木も眠る丑三つ時 refers to the dead of night (around 2-3 AM), literally "the hour when even the plants sleep."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 草木が茂る (vegetation grows thick)
- 草木が枯れる (plants wither)
- 草木が芽吹く (plants sprout)
- 草木が生い茂る (vegetation grows lush)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 植物: plants (scientific, neutral term)
- 緑: greenery (visual emphasis on the color)