PhraseNinja

Yojijukugo

Japanese meaning of 頭寒足熱

ずかんそくねつ (zukan sokunetsu)

English Translation:

Keep your head cool and your feet warm

Meaning & Cultural Context

Meaning:

Literally “cool head, warm feet”; keeping the head cool and the feet warm, said to be good for health.
日本語で読む
頭を冷やし、足を温かくしておくこと。健康によいとされる。

Cultural Context:

An old piece of health wisdom said to have been used since the Edo period; it also appears in Natsume Sōseki’s novel I Am a Cat. It may also be used as advice on heating, such as warming your feet with a kotatsu instead of heating the whole room.
日本語で読む
江戸時代から使われてきたとされる健康法の言葉で、夏目漱石の『吾輩は猫である』にも登場する。部屋全体を暖めるより、こたつで足元を温めるといった暖房の話で使うこともある。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

• Noun phrase; often “頭寒足熱を心がける” or “頭寒足熱が良い.”
日本語で読む
• 「〜を心がける」「〜が良い」の形で使うことが多い。

Trap for English Speakers

頭 is read ず, not あたま or とう. 寒 here means keeping cool, not suffering from cold.
日本語で読む
「頭」は「あたま」「とう」ではなく「ず」と読む。「寒」は寒さに苦しむことではなく、涼しく保つこと。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. 頭寒足熱を心がけて、机の下に小さなヒーターを置いた。

    To keep my head cool and my feet warm, I put a small heater under my desk.

Example 2Applied Example

  1. 雪山で夜通し見張る忍は、足に布を巻いて頭寒足熱を保ち、眠気を払った。

    Keeping watch all night in the snowy mountains, the ninja wrapped his feet in cloth, kept his head cool and his feet warm, and fought off sleep.

Quick check

Meaning

What does 「頭寒足熱」 mean?

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