公園

• Reading: こうえん
• Romaji: kouen
• Kanji breakdown: 公 (kou) — public, official; 園 (en) — garden, park
• Pronunciation: /koː.eɴ/

Meaning

Park; public park. An open green space for recreation and relaxation.

A noun referring to a public park or garden. Japanese parks range from small neighbourhood playgrounds to large urban parks like 上野公園 or 代々木公園. Parks are popular spots for 花見 (cherry blossom viewing) in spring and are often equipped with benches, fountains, and exercise equipment.

Examples

1. 天気がいいから公園で散歩しましょう。 The weather is nice, so let's take a walk in the park.
2. 子供たちが公園で遊んでいます。 The children are playing in the park.
3. この公園の桜はとてもきれいです。 The cherry blossoms in this park are very beautiful.

Usage Guide

Context: outdoors, leisure, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A Sino-Japanese compound from Chinese. The kanji 公 means public and 園 means garden or park. The modern concept of public parks was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal