生物・農林

祖父そふは田舎いなかで農業のうぎょうを営いとなんでいる。

My grandfather runs a farm in the countryside.

Usage 農業 = agriculture, farming: 農業を営む (run a farm), 農業従事者 (farm workers), 有機農業 (organic farming). The 業 family: 漁業 (fishing), 林業 (forestry).

Remember it 農 (farming) + 業 (industry) → the farming industry.

この町まちは昔むかしから漁業ぎょぎょうで栄さかえてきた。

This town has prospered from fishing since long ago.

Usage 漁業 = the fishing industry: 漁業が盛ん (fishing is thriving), 漁師 (りょうし, fisherman), 漁港 (fishing port). 釣り (つり) is fishing as a hobby.

Remember it 漁 (to fish: 氵 water + 魚 fish) + 業 (industry) → the fishing industry.

林業りんぎょうで働はたらく若者わかものが減へっている。

The number of young people working in forestry is falling.

Usage 林業 = forestry: 林業が衰退する (forestry is declining), 林業従事者. It supplies timber and manages Japan's many forests.

Remember it 林 (woods) + 業 (industry) → the woods industry.

北海道ほっかいどうでは畜産ちくさんが盛さかんだ。

Livestock farming is thriving in Hokkaido.

Usage 畜産 = livestock farming: 畜産業, 畜産農家 (livestock farmers), 畜産物 (livestock products like milk and meat).

Remember it 畜 (livestock) + 産 (production) → producing from livestock.

ベランダでトマトを栽培さいばいしている。

I'm growing tomatoes on my balcony.

Usage 栽培 = growing plants: 栽培する, 有機栽培 (organic cultivation), 水耕栽培 (hydroponics). 育てる is the everyday verb.

Remember it 栽 (to plant) + 培 (to nurture) → planting and nurturing.

秋あきになると、米こめの収穫しゅうかくが始はじまる。

When autumn comes, the rice harvest begins.

Usage 収穫 is a harvest, and figuratively a gain: 収穫する, 収穫期, 大きな収穫 (a big result). 収穫祭 is a harvest festival.

Remember it 収 (to gather) + 穫 (to reap) → gathering and reaping.

高齢化こうれいかで耕作こうさくされない田畑たはたが増ふえている。

Because of the aging population, more and more fields are going uncultivated.

Usage 耕作 is tilling and farming land: 耕作する, 耕作放棄地 (abandoned farmland, a rural issue in Japan). 耕す (たがやす) is to plow.

Remember it 耕 (to plow) + 作 (to make, grow) → plowing to grow crops.

春はるになったら、畑はたけに野菜やさいの苗なえを植うえる。

In spring, I plant vegetable seedlings in the field.

Usage 苗 is a seedling: 苗を植える, 苗木 (なえぎ, a sapling). 田植え is transplanting rice seedlings into paddies.

Remember it 艹 (plants) + 田 (field) → young plants in the field.

野菜やさいがよく育そだつように肥料ひりょうをやった。

I gave the vegetables fertilizer so they'd grow well.

Usage 肥料 = fertilizer: 肥料をやる / 与える, 化学肥料 (chemical fertilizer), 有機肥料 (organic fertilizer).

Remember it 肥 (to fatten, enrich) + 料 (material) → material that enriches the soil.

農薬のうやくを使つかわない野菜やさいは少すこし高たかい。

Vegetables grown without pesticides are a bit more expensive.

Usage 農薬 = agricultural chemicals, pesticides: 農薬を使う, 無農薬 (pesticide-free), 残留農薬 (pesticide residue).

Remember it 農 (farming) + 薬 (medicine, chemical) → farming chemicals.

新あたらしい品種ひんしゅのイチゴが開発かいはつされた。

A new variety of strawberry was developed.

Usage 品種 is a variety of plant or breed of animal: 品種改良 (selective breeding), 新品種. Japanese rice brands like コシヒカリ are 品種.

Remember it 品 (kind, quality) + 種 (seed) → a kind of seed.

昔むかしから人ひとは牛うしや豚ぶたなどの家畜かちくを飼かってきた。

People have kept livestock such as cows and pigs since ancient times.

Usage 家畜 = domestic animals raised for use: 家畜を飼う, 家畜の病気. Pets are ペット; 家畜 are farm animals.

Remember it 家 (house) + 畜 (livestock) → animals kept by the household.

動物園どうぶつえんでパンダを飼育しいくしている。

They keep pandas at the zoo.

Usage 飼育 is raising or keeping animals, formally: 飼育係 (animal keeper), 飼育員 (zookeeper). 飼う (かう) is the everyday verb for keeping a pet.

Remember it 飼 (to feed, keep) + 育 (to raise) → feeding and raising.

暖あたたかくなると、細菌さいきんが繁殖はんしょくしやすい。

Bacteria breed more easily when it gets warm.

Usage 繁殖 is breeding or multiplying: 繁殖する, 繁殖期 (breeding season), カビが繁殖する (mold spreads).

Remember it 繁 (to flourish) + 殖 (to multiply) → flourishing and multiplying.

この島しまには珍めずらしい鳥とりが生息せいそくしている。

Rare birds live on this island.

Usage 生息 is living in a habitat, used for animals: 生息する, 生息地 (habitat), 生息数 (population). For people, use 住む.

Remember it 生 (to live) + 息 (to breathe) → living and breathing there.

トキは絶滅危惧種ぜつめつきぐしゅに指定していされている。

The crested ibis is designated as an endangered species.

Usage 絶滅危惧種 = an endangered species, the standard term. 危惧 (きぐ) means apprehension. The Japanese crested ibis (トキ) is a famous example.

Remember it 絶滅 (extinction) + 危惧 (fear) + 種 (species) → a species feared to be heading for extinction.

クジラは魚さかなではなく哺乳類ほにゅうるいだ。

Whales aren't fish; they're mammals.

Usage 哺乳類 = mammals. The animal classes: 哺乳類, 鳥類 (birds), 爬虫類 (reptiles), 両生類 (amphibians), 魚類 (fish). 類 means class or kind.

Remember it 哺乳 (breastfeeding) + 類 (class) → the class that nurses its young.

ヘビやトカゲは爬虫類はちゅうるいだ。

Snakes and lizards are reptiles.

Usage 爬虫類 = reptiles: 爬虫類が苦手 (not good with reptiles), 爬虫類カフェ (reptile cafés are a thing in Japan).

Remember it 爬 (to crawl) + 虫 (creature) + 類 (class) → the crawling creatures.

カエルは水みずと陸りくの両方りょうほうで生いきる両生類りょうせいるいだ。

Frogs are amphibians that live both in water and on land.

Usage 両生類 = amphibians: frogs, newts, salamanders. The name says it: they live both ways, in water and on land.

Remember it 両 (both) + 生 (to live) + 類 (class) → the class that lives both ways.

この公園こうえんでは五十ごじゅう種類しゅるい以上いじょうの鳥類ちょうるいが観察かんさつできる。

You can observe more than fifty kinds of birds in this park.

Usage 鳥類 is birds as a zoological class, a formal word: 鳥類学 (ornithology), 鳥類図鑑 (a bird guide). In everyday speech, just 鳥.

Remember it 鳥 (bird) + 類 (class) → the bird class.

海うみの汚染おせんが魚類ぎょるいに影響えいきょうを与あたえている。

Ocean pollution is affecting fish.

Usage 魚類 is fish as a zoological class: 魚類の生態 (fish ecology). 魚介類 (ぎょかいるい) is seafood, fish plus shellfish.

Remember it 魚 (fish) + 類 (class) → the fish class.

納豆なっとうは微生物びせいぶつの働はたらきで作つくられる。

Natto is made through the action of microorganisms.

Usage 微生物 = microorganisms: bacteria, yeast, mold. They make 味噌, 醤油 and 納豆 through 発酵 (fermentation).

Remember it 微 (tiny) + 生物 (living things) → tiny living things.

手てを洗あらわないと、細菌さいきんが増ふえる。

If you don't wash your hands, bacteria multiply.

Usage 細菌 = bacteria: 細菌に感染する, 細菌性 (bacterial). バクテリア is the loanword. ウイルス (virus) is a different thing.

Remember it 細 (tiny) + 菌 (germ, fungus) → tiny germs.

人間にんげんの体からだは約やく三十七さんじゅうなな兆ちょう個この細胞さいぼうでできている。

The human body is made up of about 37 trillion cells.

Usage 細胞 = a biological cell: 細胞分裂 (cell division), がん細胞 (cancer cells), iPS細胞 (induced pluripotent stem cells, a Japanese breakthrough).

Remember it 細 (tiny) + 胞 (sac, womb) → a tiny sac of life.

遺伝子いでんしの研究けんきゅうで、病気びょうきの原因げんいんが分わかってきた。

Genetic research has begun to reveal the causes of diseases.

Usage 遺伝子 = a gene: 遺伝子組み換え (genetic modification, as on food labels), 遺伝子検査 (genetic testing). 遺伝 is heredity.

Remember it 遺伝 (heredity) + 子 (small unit) → the small unit of heredity.

スマートフォンの技術ぎじゅつは急速きゅうそくに進化しんかしている。

Smartphone technology is evolving rapidly.

Usage 進化 is evolution, biological or technological: 進化論 (the theory of evolution). The 化 suffix turns a noun into a process, as in 温暖化. Its opposite is 退化 (たいか, regression).

Remember it 進 (to advance) + 化 (change) → changing forward.

新あたらしい環境かんきょうに適応てきおうするには時間じかんがかかる。

It takes time to adapt to a new environment.

Usage 適応 = adaptation: 〜に適応する, 適応力 (adaptability), 適応障害 (adjustment disorder). 慣れる (なれる) is the everyday 'get used to'.

Remember it 適 (to suit) + 応 (to respond) → responding to suit the situation.

人間にんげんと自然しぜんが共生きょうせいできる社会しゃかいを目指めざす。

We aim for a society where people and nature can coexist.

Usage 共生 is symbiosis or living together: 共生する, 多文化共生 (multicultural coexistence), 自然との共生. 共存 (きょうそん) is coexisting side by side.

Remember it 共 (together) + 生 (to live) → living together.

この虫むしは他ほかの動物どうぶつに寄生きせいして生いきている。

This insect lives as a parasite on other animals.

Usage 寄生 = parasitism: 〜に寄生する, 寄生虫 (a parasite). Figuratively, sponging off others: 親に寄生する.

Remember it 寄 (to lean on) + 生 (to live) → living by leaning on another.

猫ねこはネズミの天敵てんてきだ。

Cats are the natural enemy of mice.

Usage 天敵 is a natural predator, and jokingly someone's nemesis: 私の天敵 (my arch-enemy), 天敵がいない (no natural predators).

Remember it 天 (nature, heaven) + 敵 (enemy) → an enemy set by nature.

食物連鎖しょくもつれんさの頂点ちょうてんにいるのは大型おおがたの肉食にくしょく動物どうぶつだ。

Large carnivores sit at the top of the food chain.

Usage 食物連鎖 = the food chain: 食物連鎖の頂点 (the top of the food chain). 連鎖 alone means a chain reaction: 連鎖反応.

Remember it 食物 (food) + 連鎖 (a linked chain) → a chain linked by food.

空そらを鳥とりの群むれが飛とんでいる。

A flock of birds is flying across the sky.

Usage 群れ is a group of animals: 鳥の群れ (flock), 羊の群れ (herd), 魚の群れ (school). The verb 群れる means to crowd together.

Remember it 君 (lord) + 羊 (sheep) → sheep gathered around their leader.

軒下のきしたにツバメが巣すを作つくった。

Swallows built a nest under the eaves.

Usage 巣 = a nest, den or web: 巣を作る, 蜂の巣 (beehive), クモの巣 (spiderweb). 巣立つ (すだつ) means to leave the nest, as children do.

Remember it 巛 (three birds) + 果 (tree) → birds sitting in a nest atop a tree.

クマは冬ふゆの間あいだ、冬眠とうみんする。

Bears hibernate during the winter.

Usage 冬眠 = hibernation: 冬眠する, 冬眠から覚める (wake from hibernation). Jokingly, people say they're in 冬眠 when staying indoors all winter.

Remember it 冬 (winter) + 眠 (sleep) → winter sleep.

毎年まいとし秋あきになると、渡り鳥わたりどりが北きたから飛とんでくる。

Every autumn, migratory birds fly in from the north.

Usage 渡り鳥 = a migratory bird. Figuratively, someone who drifts from job to job or place to place.

Remember it 渡る (to cross over) + 鳥 (bird) → birds that cross over.

この公園こうえんには樹齢じゅれい百年ひゃくねんを超こえる樹木じゅもくが多おおい。

This park has many trees over a hundred years old.

Usage 樹木 is trees as a whole, a formal word: 樹木を植える, 樹木医 (tree doctor). In speech, just 木. 樹齢 (じゅれい) is a tree's age.

Remember it 樹 (standing tree) + 木 (tree) → trees and trees.

この木きの幹みきはとても太ふとい。

This tree has a very thick trunk.

Usage 幹 = a tree trunk. Read かん, it means the main part of something: 幹線道路 (main road), 幹事 (the organizer of a party), 新幹線.

Remember it The trunk from which the branches (枝) spread and the roots (根) grow.

雪ゆきの重おもさで木きの枝えだが折おれた。

A branch broke under the weight of the snow.

Usage 枝 = a branch: 枝が折れる, 枝を切る (prune). 枝分かれ is branching off, as with a road or a family line.

Remember it 木 (tree) + 支 (to branch off) → what branches off a tree.

この植物しょくぶつは根ねが深ふかく張はっている。

This plant has deep roots.

Usage 根 = a root: 根が張る (roots spread), 根を下ろす (put down roots). Figuratively, nature: 根はいい人 (a good person at heart), 根に持つ (hold a grudge).

Remember it 木 (tree) + 艮 (to stay firm) → the part of the tree that stays firm in the ground.

春はるは花粉かふんが多おおく飛とぶので、マスクをしている。

There's a lot of pollen in the air in spring, so I wear a mask.

Usage 花粉 = pollen: 花粉症 (hay fever, affecting about 40% of Japanese people), 花粉情報 (pollen forecast), 花粉が飛ぶ (pollen is in the air).

Remember it 花 (flower) + 粉 (powder) → flower powder.