1.
earth and sand; soil and gravel; sediment; debris
A mixture of soil, sand, gravel, and rock. Often used in the context of natural disasters like landslides and mudflows, as well as construction.
大雨で土砂が崩れた。
The heavy rain caused earth and sand to collapse.
土砂崩れで道路が通行止めになった。
The road was closed due to a landslide.
土砂災害警戒情報が発表された。
A sediment disaster warning was issued.
USAGE:
Frequently appears in weather reports and disaster news in Japan, where heavy rains often cause landslides. Key compounds include 土砂崩れ (landslide), 土砂災害 (sediment disaster), and 土砂降り (downpour — using the same characters but with a different meaning).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 土砂崩れ (landslide)
- 土砂災害 (sediment disaster)
- 土砂が流れる (sediment flows)
- 土砂に埋まる (to be buried in debris)
- 土砂撤去 (debris removal)
NOTE:
土砂降り (torrential rain) uses the same first two characters but is a separate word with a different meaning.