収穫

• Reading: しゅうかく
• Romaji: shuukaku
• Kanji breakdown: 収 (shuu) — to gather, collect; 穫 (kaku) — to reap, harvest grain
• Pronunciation: /ɕɯː.ka.kɯ/

Meaning

Harvest; crop. The gathering of ripe produce from fields.

A する verb (収穫する — to harvest). Used literally for agriculture (米を収穫する — to harvest rice) and figuratively for gaining results from effort (今回の旅行は収穫が多かった — this trip yielded many rewards). 収穫祭 means harvest festival. Common in agriculture, news, and metaphorical usage.

Examples

1. 秋になると米の収穫が始まる。 When fall comes, the rice harvest begins.
2. 今年の収穫は去年より多かった。 This year's harvest was larger than last year's.
3. この研修では多くの収穫があった。 I gained a lot from this training program.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, seasons, metaphorical achievement

Tone: positive

Origin & History

Compound of 収 (shuu, to gather/collect) and 穫 (kaku, to reap grain). The second character contains the grain radical (禾), directly connecting to its agricultural meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal