Japanese meaning of 因果応報
Reading:
いんがおうほう (inga ouhou)
English Translation:
What goes around comes around
Scene & Cultural Context
Cultural Context:
The concept of karma or inevitable consequences is strong in both Japanese and Western cultures. In Japan, it is linked to ideas of social harmony and “what goes around comes around.”
良いことも悪いことも自分に返ってくるという因果応報の考え方は、日本でも欧米でも広く受け入れられています。日本では社会の調和や「お天道様が見ている」といった価値観とも関連します。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
The phrase uses a circular structure—what “goes around” will “come around.” The focus is on inevitable results rather than on who is involved.
Trap for English Speakers
Avoid confusing this with physical movement; it refers to consequences in life or society, not to actual objects moving in a circle.