1.
field; meadow; open grassland
An open area of land covered with grass or wildflowers, typically uncultivated. Evokes a natural, peaceful setting.
子どもたちが野原で遊んでいる。
The children are playing in the field.
春の野原に花が一面に咲いていた。
Flowers were blooming all across the spring meadow.
広い野原に寝転んで、雲の流れを眺めるのが好きだ。
I like lying down in a wide meadow and watching the clouds drift by.
野原 is a compound of 野 (field, wild) and 原 (plain, field). It refers to a natural, uncultivated open area and carries a pleasant, pastoral connotation.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 広い野原 (a wide meadow)
- 野原で遊ぶ (to play in the field)
- 花の咲く野原 (a flower-covered meadow)
- 野原を駆け回る (to run around in the field)
Distinct from 畑 (cultivated field, farm field) and 田/田んぼ (rice paddy). 野原 specifically implies a natural, unfarmed area. Often appears in children's stories and nostalgic descriptions of rural life.