1.
fresh green foliage, new greenery
The bright, fresh green of newly sprouted leaves in spring and early summer. A seasonal term evoking the vibrant renewal of nature, particularly associated with late April through May in Japan.
新緑がまぶしい季節になった。
The season of dazzling new greenery has arrived.
新緑の中をハイキングした。
I went hiking through the fresh green foliage.
窓から見える新緑が美しく、仕事の手を止めて見とれてしまった。
The fresh greenery visible from the window was so beautiful that I stopped working and gazed at it.
USAGE:
新緑 is a seasonal word (季語) associated with early summer in the traditional Japanese calendar. It specifically refers to the vivid, light green of newly unfurled leaves — distinct from the darker green of mature foliage. The word carries strong aesthetic and emotional resonance in Japanese culture, evoking freshness and vitality.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 新緑の季節: the season of fresh greenery
- 新緑がまぶしい: the new greenery is dazzling
- 新緑に包まれる: to be enveloped in fresh greenery
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 青葉: green leaves (similar season, more poetic)
- 若葉: young leaves (emphasis on youth of the leaves)
- 深緑: deep green (mature foliage, later in summer)