1A general term for plants with soft stems that grow from the ground, such as lawn grass, weeds, and wild plants in fields or gardens.
庭の草がずいぶん伸びたので、週末に刈るつもりだ。
The grass in the yard has grown quite long, so I plan to mow it this weekend.
川原には背の高い草が生い茂っていた。
Tall grass grew thickly along the riverbank.
子供たちは草の上に寝転んで空を眺めた。
The children lay down on the grass and gazed up at the sky.
屋根を草でふいた古い家が残っている村を訪れた。
I visited a village where old houses with thatched (grass) roofs still remain.
2An old term for a covert agent or ninja; barely used today except in period fiction.
戦国時代、大名たちは「草」と呼ばれる密偵を放って敵情を探らせた。
During the Warring States period, feudal lords sent out covert agents called "kusa" to spy on the enemy.
3Slang for marijuana or cannabis, used in news reports and casual speech.
空港で草の所持が見つかり、男が逮捕された。
A man was arrested at the airport after being found in possession of marijuana.
あの国では草の使用が合法化されている。
In that country, the use of marijuana has been legalized.
4A prefix meaning amateur or not fully official/serious (e.g. 草野球 sandlot baseball, 草競馬 informal horse racing).
休日は近所の公園で草野球を楽しんでいる。
On my days off, I enjoy playing amateur baseball at the neighborhood park.
田舎の祭りでは毎年草競馬が行われる。
An informal horse race is held every year at the countryside festival.
5Internet slang expressing laughter, originating from repeated "w" characters (used like "lol") that visually resemble blades of grass.
その返信のセンスが面白すぎて草生えた。
That reply was so hilariously clever, I couldn't stop laughing.
コメント欄が「草」だらけになっていた。
The comment section was filled with people writing "kusa" (lol).
配信者の失敗を見て、視聴者は口々に草と書き込んだ。
Seeing the streamer's blunder, viewers all wrote "kusa" in the chat.