(のはら)

のはら
noun
field; meadow; open grassland
nature
1. field; meadow; open grassland
An open area of land covered with grass or wildflowers, typically uncultivated. Evokes a natural, peaceful setting.
()どもたち野原(のはら)(あそ)んでいる
The children are playing in the field.
Flowers were blooming all across the spring meadow.
I like lying down in a wide meadow and watching the clouds drift by.

野原(のはら) is a compound of () (field, wild) and (はら) (plain, field). It refers to a natural, uncultivated open area and carries a pleasant, pastoral connotation.

Common collocations

Distinct from (はたけ) (cultivated field, farm field) and ()/()んぼ (rice paddy). 野原(のはら) specifically implies a natural, unfarmed area. Often appears in children's stories and nostalgic descriptions of rural life.