田舎
inaka[ina̠ka̠]
The Japanese word for countryside is 田舎 (inaka).
田舎 is used to describe areas outside of towns and cities, or a specific rural part of a larger area. Among younger generations, the phrase マイナーな地方 is sometimes used to describe less popular or remote parts of the countryside.
Meaning: area outside of towns and cities, or such part of a larger area (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 田舎 is composed of the kanji 田 (rice field) and 舎 (house/building), literally meaning 'rice field houses'.
Which one should you use?
While 田舎 often carries a connotation of being remote or old-fashioned, the term 地方 (chihō) is a more neutral way to refer to regional areas outside of the capital or major metropolitan centers.
How do you pronounce it?
inaka
Did you know?
- The term 田舎 is deeply tied to the concept of the 'hometown', and saying 田舎に帰る often means returning to one's ancestral family home rather than just visiting a rural area.
- In Japanese culture, calling someone or something 田舎者 (inakamon) can be an insult, implying the person is 'uncouth' or 'unsophisticated' like a person from the sticks.
- The original Japanese pronunciation of 田舎 likely came from a combination of words meaning 'to be' and 'inside' rather than 'rice field' and 'house'.
Examples in context
- 田舎育ちです。I grew up in the countryside.This sentence is useful for describing where you were raised using 田舎.Tatoeba #11264586 by small_snow, translation #9517788 by sundown
- 田舎は春がきれいだ。The countryside is beautiful in the spring.This sentence is useful for describing the beauty of the countryside using 田舎.Tatoeba #124892 by KK_kaku_, translation #279101 by CK
- 田舎の風景は変わってしまった。The face of the countryside has changed.This sentence is useful for describing how the landscape of the countryside has changed using 田舎.Tatoeba #124894 by small_snow, translation #279099 by sundown
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about their vacation plans.
- 蓮 Ren今年の休みは田舎に行きたいです。Kotoshi no yasumi wa inaka ni ikitai desu.I want to go to the countryside for this year's break.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。どこに行くんですか？Ii desu ne. Doko ni ikun desu ka?That sounds nice. Where are you going?
- 蓮 Ren祖父母が住んでいる田舎です。Sofubo ga sunde iru inaka desu.The countryside where my grandparents live.
- 美咲 Misakiゆっくり休めそうですね。Yukkuri yasume sou desu ne.It sounds like you'll be able to relax.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “countryside” translations and entries 田舎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 田舎, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
