Meaning
植 means to plant — to press something living into earth and let it take root. At its most literal, it covers gardening, farming, and forestry. But it stretches further: 植民地 describes a colony (literally, a land where people are "settled"); 移植 covers both organ transplants and grafting in agriculture; 植林 refers to planting trees across a landscape. Same core idea — something living, placed somewhere new to grow.
Structurally, 植 is built from two components. The left side is 木 (き, tree/wood), the semantic radical marking this kanji as plant-related. The right side is 直 (ちょく, straight/correct), which serves as a phonetic hint toward the on'yomi ショク. Together, they sketch a clean image: a seedling standing upright in fresh soil.
植 has 12 strokes, is taught in Grade 3 of Japanese elementary school, and belongs to the 木 radical family. It appears across everyday contexts — plant biology, ecology, medicine, agriculture, and modern history.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
植 reads as ショク (shoku) in compound words. This is the reading you'll encounter in formal writing, textbooks, and scientific or historical texts.
- 植物 (shokubutsu) — plant, vegetation
- 植民地 (shokuminchi) — colony (literally "land where people are planted/settled")
- 植林 (shokurin) — afforestation, reforestation
- 移植 (ishoku) — transplant (medical or agricultural)
- 植生 (shokusei) — vegetation, plant cover of a region
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are う.える (ueru) and う.わる (uwaru). These appear when 植 functions as a standalone verb.
う.える (ueru) is transitive — the subject is doing the planting.
- 植える (ueru) — to plant (a seed, seedling, or bulb)
- 植え木 (ueki) — garden plant, potted tree
- 植え付ける (uetsukeru) — to plant firmly; also used figuratively (e.g., instilling fear or an idea)
う.わる (uwaru) is intransitive — the plant itself is the subject, already in the ground.
- 植わる (uwaru) — to be planted, to take root
Common Words & Compounds
Nature & Science
- 植物 (shokubutsu) — plant, vegetation
- 植物園 (shokubutsuen) — botanical garden
- 植物性 (shokubutsusei) — plant-based, of plant origin
- 植生 (shokusei) — vegetation, plant cover of a region
Gardening & Agriculture
- 植木 (ueki) — garden plant, potted tree
- 植木鉢 (uekibachi) — flower pot, plant pot
- 植え付け (uetsuke) — planting, transplanting seedlings
- 植林 (shokurin) — reforestation, planting of trees
Medicine
- 移植 (ishoku) — transplant (organ or plant graft)
- 臓器移植 (zouki ishoku) — organ transplant
- 骨髄移植 (kotsuzui ishoku) — bone marrow transplant
History & Society
- 植民地 (shokuminchi) — colony (historical/political term)
- 植民地化 (shokuminchika) — colonization
Example Sentences
庭に桜の木を植えました。
Niwa ni sakura no ki wo uemashita.
I planted a cherry blossom tree in the garden.
春になると、花を植えるのが楽しいです。
Haru ni naru to, hana wo ueru no ga tanoshii desu.
When spring arrives, planting flowers is one of life's small pleasures.
植物園には珍しい植物がたくさんあります。
Shokubutsuen ni wa mezurashii shokubutsu ga takusan arimasu.
The botanical garden has all sorts of rare plants.
この木は去年植わったばかりです。
Kono ki wa kyonen uwatta bakari desu.
This tree was only planted last year.
彼は山で植林の活動に参加しました。
Kare wa yama de shokurin no katsudou ni sanka shimashita.
He joined a reforestation project in the mountains.
医師は患者に腎臓の移植を勧めました。
Ishi wa kanja ni jinzou no ishoku wo susumemashita.
The doctor recommended a kidney transplant.
植民地の歴史は複雑です。
Shokuminchi no rekishi wa fukuzatsu desu.
Colonial history is complicated.
子供たちは学校の校庭に花を植えました。
Kodomotachi wa gakkou no koutei ni hana wo uemashita.
The children planted flowers in the school courtyard.
植物性の食品は健康にいいと言われています。
Shokubutsusei no shokuhin wa kenkou ni ii to iwarete imasu.
Plant-based foods are said to be good for your health.
Memory Tip
Look at the two halves: 木 (tree) on the left, 直 (straight) on the right. When you plant a seedling, you push it straight down and set it upright — that's the image locked inside this character. For the reading, tie ショク to 植物 (shokubutsu, plant). That word is common enough that once it sticks, the reading comes with it.