The kanji 庭 primarily means "garden" or "yard." It refers to an outdoor space, often associated with a house, where plants are cultivated or where people can relax. It implies a cultivated or maintained area, not simply wild or untouched land. It can also refer to a "courtyard."

・On-yomi (音読み): テイ (tei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): にわ (niwa)

⚫︎お庭 Translation: Garden (polite) ⚫︎庭園 (teien) Translation: Garden; Japanese garden ⚫︎裏庭 (uraniwa) Translation: Backyard

The kanji 庭 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The left side is the radical 广 (かんむり, kanmuri), a simplified form of a cliff or overhang, suggesting a sheltered space or dwelling. The right side is 廷 (tei), which contributes to the sound and originally meant "court" or "the place of the emperor." Together, the combination suggests a space associated with a dwelling or official building, like the courtyard, that also implies the meaning "garden." Over time, the meaning shifted more specifically to the cultivated outdoor area we recognize as a garden.