Translation guide
The concept of crops failing to produce a harvest, typically due to weather, disease, or pests. In Japanese, this is expressed through specific nouns and verbs describing poor harvests or crop damage.
To describe a situation where crops do not yield enough, often due to natural causes.
The most common and general term for a bad harvest or crop failure. Used in news, agriculture, and everyday conversation.
This year, the drought caused a crop failure.
In years of crop failure, food becomes scarce.
Similar to 凶作 but slightly less severe; often used for a poor harvest or reduced yield. Can also be used metaphorically.
The rice harvest was poor due to the cool summer.
A more technical or formal term meaning 'poor harvest' or 'crop failure'. Often used in agricultural reports.
Crop failures due to abnormal weather were reported.
To emphasize that crops were damaged or destroyed by a specific cause (e.g., typhoon, insects).
General term for damage. When combined with crop names, it indicates crop damage. Often used with verbs like 受ける (うける) or 出る (でる).
The typhoon caused extensive damage to the rice crop.
The harvest was drastically reduced due to insect damage.
Means 'the crops are completely destroyed'. Stronger than just poor harvest; implies total loss.
The crops were completely destroyed by the long rain.
To describe the resulting famine or food shortage when crops fail.
凶作 (きょうさく) implies a severe crop failure, often widespread and causing hardship. 不作 (ふさく) is a poor harvest, but not necessarily catastrophic. In everyday speech, 不作 is more common for mild to moderate poor yields.
This year's rice harvest was poor, but it's not a crop failure.
Do not translate 'crop failure' directly as 作物失敗 (さくもつしっぱい) or similar. It is not natural Japanese. Use the terms above.
Food shortage. More neutral and modern than 飢饉. Can be used for temporary shortages.
Food shortages are feared due to the poor harvest.