Translation guide
The act of putting plants, seeds, or trees into the ground. This guide covers common Japanese expressions for planting in gardening, farming, and forestry contexts.
To express the action of putting plants or seeds into soil for cultivation.
The most common verb for planting seedlings, bulbs, or young plants. Transitive.
春に花の苗を植えます。
I plant flower seedlings in spring.
Specifically for sowing seeds. Literally 'scatter seeds'.
畑に野菜の種をまきました。
I sowed vegetable seeds in the field.
To plant firmly, often used for transplanting seedlings or setting plants into the ground. Slightly more technical.
トマトの苗を畑に植え付けました。
I planted tomato seedlings in the field.
Agricultural term for planting crops on a large scale. Often used in farming contexts.
今年の作付け計画を立てる。
We make a planting plan for this year.
To express planting trees, shrubs, or larger plants, often for landscaping or forestry.
Formal term for tree planting, often used in environmental or public projects.
公園で植樹祭が行われました。
A tree-planting festival was held in the park.
Everyday phrase for planting a tree. Uses the general verb 植える.
庭に桜の木を植えたいです。
I want to plant a cherry tree in the garden.
Specifically planting a sapling or young tree.
山に杉の苗木を植える活動に参加した。
I participated in an activity to plant cedar saplings on the mountain.
To express planting in pots, planters, or other containers.
Standard phrase for planting in a flowerpot.
ハーブを鉢に植えてキッチンに置いています。
I plant herbs in pots and keep them in the kitchen.
For planting in a planter box.
ベランダのプランターに花を植えました。
I planted flowers in the planter on the balcony.
To express planting in a metaphorical sense, such as planting ideas, evidence, or spies.
Used figuratively to mean instilling ideas, feelings, or habits.
子供に自然の大切さを植え付ける教育。
Education that instills the importance of nature in children.
Can mean to plant a spy or secretly install something. Colloquial.
Literary or poetic term for planting deeply, sometimes used figuratively.
The verb 植える is for seedlings or plants with roots. For seeds, use 種をまく or 種まきをする.
植える is general planting. 植え付ける emphasizes the action of setting into the ground firmly, often used in agriculture or when transplanting.
To plant a spy in an organization.
To plant memories in one's heart.