Meaning & use
haiku
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Meaning
nouncountable
A short Japanese poem with three lines, usually having five, seven, and five syllables, often about nature.
Grammar: The plural is also 'haiku', not 'haikus'.
Patterns
- write a haiku
- a haiku about something
She wrote a haiku about the autumn moon.
In English class, we learned to count syllables when writing a haiku.
He published a collection of haiku in both Japanese and English.
Common combinations
- write a haiku
- For homework, we had to write a haiku about a season.
- a haiku about
- He composed a haiku about the sound of rain.
- traditional haiku
- The teacher explained the rules of traditional haiku.
- haiku contest
- She entered a haiku contest and won second prize.
Synonyms and how they differ
- poem
- General word for any piece of writing in verse; haiku is a specific short form with strict syllable rules.
Commonly confused: haiku or tanka?
haiku vs tanka
Another Japanese poetic form, but with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern, not three lines.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'haiku' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Haiku' is the same in singular and plural, so 'two haiku' is correct. 'Haikus' is sometimes seen but is not standard, and 'haiku poem' is redundant.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “haiku”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.