Word Detail

The Japanese word スコップ (sukoppu) means "shovel". It refers to a tool with a broad blade and typically a handle, used for digging, lifting, or moving loose material like earth, snow, or grain. The tool is designed to make work easier when dealing with such materials. This word is a direct loan from the English word "shovel".

⚫︎庭でスコップを使って穴を掘りました。 Translation: I dug a hole in the garden using a shovel. ⚫︎雪かきにスコップが必要です。 Translation: A shovel is needed for shoveling snow. ⚫︎スコップで土を運びました。 Translation: I carried the soil with a shovel.

You use スコップ when referring to the tool itself, the action of using the tool, or to specify what the shovel is for. It is a common word, used in various contexts from gardening to construction and even snow removal. You can use it in both formal and informal conversations. The verb form can be used as スコップする which is the action to use the shovel.

スコップ is written in katakana. This is because it is a loanword from English. There are no other ways to write this word. The okurigana is not applicable here as it is not a Japanese word.

There aren't many direct synonyms for スコップ as it is very specific. However, depending on the context, you might consider the following: ⚫︎シャベル (shaberu) - also "shovel" (often interchangeable with スコップ) ⚫︎ショベル (shoberu) - also "shovel"

There aren't direct antonyms for the word "shovel." But, tools that are used to dig could be considered antonyms.

父はスコップで庭の土を整えました。 ・Translation: My father tidied up the soil in the garden with a shovel. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates the use of スコップ to describe the tool used for a specific gardening task.

このスコップは軽くて使いやすいです。 ・Translation: This shovel is light and easy to use. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the quality of a shovel.

The word スコップ comes directly from the English word "shovel." The word was adopted into the Japanese language because of the utility of the tool and the need to describe its function.