1.
ear of rice, rice head
The grain-bearing tip of a rice plant, often seen bending as the rice ripens.
稲穂が黄金色に輝いている。
The ears of rice are shining golden.
秋になると稲穂が垂れる。
In autumn, the ears of rice droop.
実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな。
The more the rice ripens, the more it bends its head.
A famous proverb meaning that the wiser a person becomes, the more humble they are.
稲穂 refers to the ear or head of a rice plant — the grain-bearing part that droops when ripe.
WORD FORMATION:
稲 (rice plant) + 穂 (ear, head of grain).
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Appears in the famous proverb: 実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな — "The more the rice ripens, the more the head bows." This teaches that truly accomplished people remain humble.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 稲穂が実る: the rice ears ripen
- 稲穂が揺れる: the rice ears sway (in the wind)
- 黄金色の稲穂: golden rice ears
NOTE:
A seasonal word (季語) for autumn in haiku, evoking harvest time and the Japanese countryside.