1.
carefree; having known no hardship; sheltered; inexperienced in difficulty
Describing someone who has grown up or lived without ever experiencing real struggle or hardship, often implying a privileged or sheltered upbringing.
苦労知らずに育った。
I grew up without knowing hardship.
彼は苦労知らずのお坊ちゃんだ。
He is a sheltered rich kid who has never known hardship.
苦労知らずだった自分が、社会に出て初めて大変さを知った。
Having been sheltered, I learned for the first time how tough things are when I entered the real world.
A compound of 苦労 (hardship, difficulty) and 知らず (not knowing). Describes someone who has been fortunate enough — or sheltered enough — to never experience real difficulty. The tone can be neutral (simply describing someone's fortunate upbringing) or slightly critical (implying naivety or a lack of empathy due to inexperience).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 苦労知らずに育つ: to grow up without hardship
- 苦労知らずの人生: a life without hardship
- 苦労知らずのお坊ちゃん: sheltered rich boy
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 世間知らず: naive about the ways of the world — focuses on social inexperience
- のんき: carefree, easygoing — personality trait rather than life circumstance
- お気楽: carefree, happy-go-lucky — more colloquial and often slightly critical