花鳥風月(かちょうふうげつ)

かちょうふうげつ
noun
beauties of nature; the beauty of the natural world
formalnaturecultureexpression
1. beauties of nature; the beauty of the natural world; scenic beauty
A four-character idiom (四字熟語(よじじゅくご)) referring to the beauty found in nature and the refined appreciation of it. Literally 'flowers, birds, wind, and moon' — four quintessential elements of natural beauty in East Asian aesthetics.
花鳥風月(かちょうふうげつ)を愛(あい)する。
To love the beauties of nature.
俳句(はいく)は花鳥風月(かちょうふうげつ)を詠(よ)む文学(ぶんがく)だ。
Haiku is a literary form that celebrates the beauties of nature.
引退(いんたい)したら田舎(いなか)で花鳥風月(かちょうふうげつ)を楽(たの)しみながら暮(く)らしたい。
After retirement, I'd like to live in the countryside enjoying the beauties of nature.

A 四字熟語(よじじゅくご) (four-character idiom) representing the aesthetic appreciation of nature.

Etymology

花(か) (flowers) + 鳥(ちょう) (birds) + 風(ふう) (wind) + 月(げつ) (moon) — four archetypal elements of natural beauty in East Asian culture.

Common collocations

Cultural note

This concept is deeply rooted in Japanese and Chinese literary traditions. It represents the refined sensibility of finding beauty in the natural world — a central theme in haiku, waka poetry, ink painting, and tea ceremony aesthetics. The appreciation of 花鳥風月(かちょうふうげつ) is considered a mark of cultural refinement.

Related words

  • 風流(ふうりゅう): elegance, refined taste — the sensibility behind appreciating 花鳥風月(かちょうふうげつ)
  • 山水(さんすい): landscape — natural scenery, especially mountains and water
  • 雪月花(せつげっか): snow, moon, and flowers — another expression for natural beauty

Related Words

Related: 風流(ふうりゅう) (elegance, refined taste)
Related: 山水(さんすい) (landscape)
general
Added 2026.4.3 1:19 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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