農業
nōgyō[no̞ːɡʲo̞ː]
The English word "agriculture" is translated into Japanese as 農業 (nōgyō). If unsure, use 農業. Wiktionary also lists 農耕 (nōkō) and 農事 (nōji).
Meaning: the art or science of cultivating the ground (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 農業 | nōgyō | [no̞ːɡʲo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 農耕 | nōkō | [no̞ːko̞ː] (narrow) |
| 農事 | nōji |
The word refers to the art or science of cultivating the ground.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 農業 is composed of the kanji 農 (agriculture/farming) and 業 (business/industry/work).
Which one should you use?
While 農業 refers to agriculture as an industry or field of study, 農耕 specifically refers to the physical act of tilling or cultivating the land. Additionally, 農事 is used to refer to the specific tasks or seasonal affairs of farming rather than the industry itself.
How do you pronounce it?
nōgyō
Did you know?
- The kanji 業 in 農業 doesn't just mean 'work', it can also imply a 'karma' or a lifelong 'vocation' in certain philosophical contexts.
- Traditional Japanese agriculture emphasizes the concept of 'satoyama', which describes the border zone between mountain foothills and arable flat land.
- The word 農家, meaning 'farm household', is often used in Japanese to describe a person's social identity or 'class' rather than just their occupation.
Examples in context
- 彼は農業の研究をしている。He is studying agriculture.This sentence shows the use of 農業 for studying the field.Tatoeba #101323 by bunbuku, translation #302373 by CK
- 政府は農業にもっと投資するべきだ。The government should invest more money in agriculture.This sentence shows the use of 農業 regarding investment.Tatoeba #143075 by tommy_san, translation #1210696 by CK
- その国の経済は、農業に依存している。The country's economy depends on agriculture.This sentence shows the use of 農業 regarding economic dependence.Tatoeba #210638 by bunbuku, translation #47908 by CK
- 農業は国の重要な産業です。Agriculture is an important industry of the country.
- 農事の効率化には最新の技術が不可欠です。State-of-the-art technology is essential for improving agricultural practices.
- 日本の農耕技術は世界的に有名です。Japanese agricultural cultivation techniques are globally renowned.
Example conversation
Daigaki and Misaki are discussing their future careers at university.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲は大学で何を勉強したいの？Misaki wa daigaku de nani o benkyō shitai no?Misaki, what do you want to study at university?
- 美咲 Misaki私は農業について学びたいと思っているよ。Watashi wa nōgyō ni tsuite manabitai to omotte iru yo.I'm thinking that I want to learn about agriculture.
- 大翔 Hirotoへえ、農業に興味があるんだね。Hee, nōgyō ni kyōmi ga aru n da ne.Oh, so you're interested in agriculture.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、将来は自分の農場を持ちたいんだ。Un, shōrai wa jibun no nōjō o mochitai n da.Yeah, I want to have my own farm in the future.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “agriculture” translations and entries 農業, 農耕, 農事, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
