Yojijukugo
Japanese meaning of 晴耕雨読
Reading:
Voice sample:
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.
日本語で読む
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.
日本語で読む
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.<br>• Often used figuratively to describe a peaceful and balanced life.
日本語で読む
• 直訳的に「晴れたら畑を耕し、雨なら読書する」とし、比喩的に穏やかで自分らしい暮らしを表す。
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").
日本語で読む
直訳だと意味が伝わりにくいため、「自分のペースで生きる」などの意訳や説明が必要。
Example
Example 1Basic 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.
Example 2Applied 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.
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「晴耕雨読」 mean?