One Kanji Per Day – Day 10: 土 (Tsuchi / Do)

Reaching Day 10 is a big milestone — that’s already a solid beginner foundation!

Let’s do it 👇

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Day 10 – 土 (つち / ド)

Meaning: earth / soil / ground 🌍

🔹 Basic Info

• Kanji: 土
• Reading (kun): つち (tsuchi)
• Reading (on): ド (do), ト (to)
• JLPT level: N5
• Strokes: 3

✍️ How to Remember & Write

Imagine:

• The bottom line is the ground
• The vertical line is something standing on the earth
• The top line is the surface of the soil

Very simple and very logical — only 3 strokes!

🧠 Meaning & Cultural Note

土 means earth or soil.
In Japan, it’s connected to:

• Nature 🌱
• Agriculture 🌾
• Stability and foundation

It’s also used in many words about land, place, and region.

📅 Fun Fact

• Saturday is 土曜日 (どようび)
  → Literally “Earth Day”

In ancient astronomy, Saturday was linked to Saturn, known as the Earth Star.

🗣️ Common Words

• 土（つち）– soil / earth
• 土曜日（どようび）– Saturday
• 土地（とち）– land
• 国土（こくど）– national land

🌱 Mini Practice

Try reading this:

• 土があります。
  (Tsuchi ga arimasu.)
  → There is soil.

💡 One-Kanji Tip

土 is a very common radical (kanji component).
It appears in many place-related kanji:

• 地 (ground)
• 場 (place)
• 坂 (slope)

So learning 土 unlocks many future kanji 🔓

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🎉 Congratulations — Day 10 complete!
You now have the full set of basic nature/day kanji:

日 月 火 水 木 金 土
(+ 人, 山, etc. from earlier)

That’s actually one of the best beginner foundations possible 👏👏