1.
the secular world; the mundane; worldly affairs
The ordinary, non-religious world of everyday human concerns, as opposed to the sacred or monastic life.
俗を離れた生活を送る。
To lead a life removed from worldly affairs.
僧侶が俗に戻ることを還俗という。
When a Buddhist monk returns to secular life, it is called genzoku.
彼の趣味は俗だと言われた。
His tastes were said to be vulgar.
2.
vulgarity; coarseness; lack of refinement
A quality of being common, crude, or lacking in taste and elegance.
俗っぽい言い方は避けたほうがいい。
You should avoid vulgar ways of speaking.
俗な話で恐縮ですが、給料はいくらですか。
Forgive the indelicate question, but what is the salary?
あの小説は俗受けを狙った作品だ。
That novel is a work aimed at popular appeal.
3.
colloquial; popular; common (as prefix)
When used as a prefix, indicates the popular or everyday version of something, as opposed to the official or formal version.
俗に「猫舌」と言う。
It is colloquially called 'nekojita' (cat tongue).
俗に言う「五月病」にかかった。
I came down with what is popularly known as 'May sickness.'
正式名称は長いので、俗名で呼ばれている。
The official name is long, so it is known by its popular name.
A versatile kanji-based word with roots in Chinese philosophy, contrasting the sacred (聖) with the mundane (俗). In modern Japanese, the prefix sense (俗に言う, 'as it is popularly called') is the most frequently encountered usage.
USAGE:
- The phrase 俗に言う ('as they say colloquially; popularly known as') is extremely common in writing and speech when introducing a popular term, nickname, or folk expression.
- As a prefix, 俗 forms compounds: 俗名 ('common name; popular name'), 俗語 ('slang; colloquial expression'), 俗説 ('popular belief; folk theory').
- As a standalone adjective-like noun, 俗な describes something as vulgar, crude, or lowbrow.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 俗に言う: as they say colloquially; popularly called
- 俗名: popular name; common name
- 俗語: slang; colloquialism
- 俗説: popular belief; folk theory
- 俗っぽい: vulgar; coarse; common
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 世俗: the secular world — emphasizes the worldly, non-religious dimension
- 卑俗: vulgar; base — stronger negative judgment than 俗 alone
- 通俗: popular; accessible — positive spin: easy for ordinary people to understand
- 風俗: customs; manners — social customs and practices of a time or place