土石(どせき)

どせき
noun
earth and stone; soil and rocks; debris
1. earth and stone; soil and rocks; debris
A collective term for soil, dirt, and rocks. Frequently appears in disaster-related contexts, particularly regarding landslides and mudflows, as well as in construction and geology.
大雨(おおあめ)で土石(どせき)が崩(くず)れた。
Earth and rocks collapsed due to heavy rain.
土石流(どせきりゅう)の危険(きけん)がある地域(ちいき)に住(す)んでいる。
I live in an area at risk of mudflows.
工事(こうじ)現場(げんば)から大量(たいりょう)の土石(どせき)が運(はこ)び出(だ)された。
A large amount of earth and stone was hauled from the construction site.

A paired compound of 土(ど) (earth, soil) and 石(せき) (stone, rock). Most commonly encountered in the compound 土石流(どせきりゅう) (mudflow, debris flow), which is a major natural disaster concern in mountainous Japan. Appears frequently in weather warnings and disaster reports.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 土石流(どせきりゅう): mudflow, debris flow
  • 土石(どせき)崩(くず)れ: collapse of earth and stone
  • 土石(どせき)の撤去(てっきょ): removal of earth and stone
  • 土石(どせき)災害(さいがい): earth and rock disaster

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 土砂(どしゃ): earth and sand — also used in disaster contexts (土砂(どしゃ)崩(くず)れ, 土砂(どしゃ)災害(さいがい)) but emphasizes finer sediment rather than rocks
  • 岩石(がんせき): rock — refers specifically to rocks and geological formations
  • 瓦礫(がれき): rubble, debris — broken fragments, especially from destroyed buildings
general
Added 2026.5.2 20:30
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