新緑(しんりょく)

しんりょく
noun
fresh green foliage, new greenery
plant-generaltime-season
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(しんりょく)がまぶしい季節(きせつ)になった。
The season of dazzling new greenery has arrived.
新緑(しんりょく)の中(なか)をハイキングした。
I went hiking through the fresh green foliage.
窓(まど)から見(み)える新緑(しんりょく)が美(うつく)しく、仕事(しごと)の手(て)を止(と)めて見(み)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(しんりょく) is a seasonal word (季語(きご)) 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

Similar words

  • 青葉(あおば): green leaves (similar season, more poetic)
  • 若葉(わかば): young leaves (emphasis on youth of the leaves)
  • 深緑(しんりょく): deep green (mature foliage, later in summer)

Related Words

Related: 若葉(わかば) (young leaves)
Compare: 青葉(あおば) (green leaves)
Compare: 深緑(ふかみどり) (dark green)
Compare: 黄葉(こうよう) (yellow autumn leaves)
Related: 濃緑(のうりょく) (dark green)
Related: 発葉(はつよう) (leafing out)
general
Added 2026.2.22 15:24 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
12500/12724_shinryoku