春秋
The phrase "spring and autumn" in Japanese is translated as 春秋.
In a literary or poetic context, 春秋 can refer to the passage of years or a person's age.
What does it mean word for word?
The first character 春 means spring.
Did you know?
- The term 春秋 is used in the compound 春秋時代, which refers to the 'Spring and Autumn period' of ancient China, a time of great political fragmentation and intellectual growth.
- While 春秋 describes seasons, it is also the title of a famous classic Chinese work by Confucius, which heavily influences how Japanese scholars view the term.
- The reading of the characters can change depending on whether one is using the native Japanese way or the Chinese-derived 'on' reading, which affects the phrase's formal tone.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about their favorite times of year.
- 美咲 Misaki健太くんはいつが好きですか？Kenta-kun wa itsu ga suki desu ka?Kenta, when do you like most?
- 健太 Kenta僕は春秋が一番好きです。Boku wa shunjuu ga ichiban suki desu.I like spring and autumn the most.
- 美咲 Misaki私もです。暑すぎず寒すぎませんね。Watashi mo desu. Atsusugizu samusugimasen ne.Me too. It's neither too hot nor too cold.
- 健太 Kenta本当にそうですね。Hontou ni sou desu ne.That is really true.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 春秋, CC BY-SA 4.0.
