1.
sunlight filtering through trees; dappled sunlight
The beautiful effect of sunlight streaming through gaps in tree leaves, creating patterns of light and shadow on the ground.
木漏れ日が差し込む。
Dappled sunlight streams in.
森の中で木漏れ日を浴びた。
I bathed in the sunlight filtering through the trees in the forest.
木漏れ日の美しさに心が癒される。
The beauty of the dappled sunlight soothes my heart.
ETYMOLOGY:
木 (tree) + 漏れ (to leak through) + 日 (sunlight) - literally "sunlight leaking through trees"
CULTURAL NOTE:
This is considered one of Japan's beautiful untranslatable words, representing the Japanese appreciation for subtle natural phenomena. It's often cited as an example of the Japanese aesthetic sensitivity to nature.
COLLOCATIONS:
- 木漏れ日が差す - sunlight filters through
- 木漏れ日を浴びる - to bathe in dappled sunlight