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.
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.
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。
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.