Japanese meaning of 晴耕雨読
Reading:
せいこううどく (seikou udoku)
English Translation:
Cultivate the fields when it's sunny, read books when it rains. / A life in tune with nature and at one's own pace.
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
To lead a flexible and peaceful lifestyle by adjusting one's activities to suit changing circumstances, such as working outside when the weather is good and staying indoors to read when it rains.
状況や環境の変化に合わせて、無理せず自然体で暮らすこと。たとえば天気の良い日は外で活動し、雨の日は家で静かに過ごすなど、自分のペースを大事にした生活を意味します。
Cultural Context:
Once associated with the lives of retired scholars, this phrase is now used to evoke an ideal of work-life balance and rural living in Japan.
もとは隠居した学者の暮らしを表す言葉だったが、現代ではワークライフバランスや田舎暮らしの理想像としても使われる。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• "Cultivate the fields when it's sunny, read when it rains." = Literal translation that conveys the philosophy.
• Often used figuratively to describe a peaceful and balanced life.
Trap for English Speakers
No direct English idiom exists; literal translation may sound awkward, so explain the concept if needed (e.g., "living at one's own pace").
Example
Basic Example
彼は田舎で晴耕雨読の生活を送っている。
He lives a life of cultivating when it’s sunny and reading when it rains.
Applied Example
晴れた日は畑で鍬を振るい、雨の日は本をめくる。晴耕雨読の暮らしが彼の力を育てた。
On sunny days he tilled the fields, on rainy days he turned the pages of books — a life in tune with nature and at one’s own pace.