1.
sowing seeds; seed sowing
the act of planting seeds in soil, either for gardening or agriculture
春に種まきをする。
We sow seeds in spring.
種まきの時期を逃さないようにする。
Make sure not to miss the sowing season.
子供と一緒に朝顔の種まきをした。
I sowed morning glory seeds together with my child.
2.
laying groundwork; planting seeds (figurative)
figuratively, taking early actions that will lead to future results
将来のために種まきをしておく。
Lay the groundwork for the future.
今の努力は成功への種まきだ。
Today's efforts are planting the seeds for success.
新規顧客開拓の種まきとして、各地で説明会を開いた。
As groundwork for acquiring new customers, we held informational sessions in various locations.
種まき refers to the act of sowing seeds, both literally (agriculture, gardening) and figuratively (laying groundwork for future results).
WRITING:
Also written as 種蒔き with kanji. The hiragana form 種まき is more common in everyday use.
LITERAL USE:
In Japan, 種まき season varies by crop but spring is typical for rice and vegetables. School children often do 朝顔 (morning glory) 種まき as a class activity.
FIGURATIVE USE:
Commonly used in business to mean laying groundwork or making early investments for future success. 種まきをする means to plant the seeds (for a future outcome).
RELATED TERMS:
- 播種: sowing (technical/agricultural)
- 苗: seedling
- 収穫: harvest
- 稲: rice plant