Japanese meaning of 郷に入っては郷に従え
Reading:
ごうにいってはごうにしたがえ (gō ni itte wa gō ni shitagae)
English Translation:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Cultural Context:
Aligns with Japan’s strong group-oriented etiquette culture, especially in workplace and community life.
その土地や環境の習慣に従うべきという意味。
職場や地域社会での集団行動や礼儀作法を重んじる日本文化と一致する。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• 郷 (gō) = “village” or “region” (noun)
• に入っては (ni haitte wa) = “when entering” or “if you enter”; に = particle, 入って = te-form of 入る (hairu, “to enter”), は = topic particle
• 郷に従え (gō ni shitagae) = “follow the customs of the village”; 従え is imperative form of 従う (shitagau, “to follow/obey”)
Two conditional-like clauses joined without a conjunction, both using に + verb for parallelism.
Trap for English Speakers
Could be taken as a strict travel rule, not advice to follow local customs.
Example
Basic Example
赴任先のルールには従おう。郷に入っては郷に従え。
Let’s follow the local rules—When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Applied Example
砂漠の町では砂嵐装備が正解。郷に入っては郷に従え。
In the desert city, sandstorm gear is standard—When in Rome, do as the Romans do.