故郷

• 読み: ふるさと
• ローマ字: furusato
• 漢字の分解: 故 (ko/furu) — old, reason; 郷 (kyou/sato) — village, hometown
• 発音: /ɸɯ.ɾɯ.sa.to/

意味

Hometown; birthplace; native place. The place where one was born or grew up.

A noun with deep emotional resonance in Japanese culture. Can be read as ふるさと (furusato, native, poetic) or こきょう (kokyou, more formal). ふるさと is the more common and emotionally warm reading, evoking nostalgia and belonging. The famous song ふるさと is known by nearly every Japanese person. Often associated with rural hometowns and the custom of returning during Obon and New Year.

例文

1. お正月に故郷に帰る人が多い。
2. 故郷の風景を思い出すと懐かしくなる。
3. もう何年も故郷に帰っていない。

使い方ガイド

場面: family, nostalgia, holidays

トーン: warm

起源と歴史

Composed of 故 (old, reason, deceased) and 郷 (village, hometown). The combination evokes the old village one came from, carrying a sense of one's origins and roots.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal