Translation guide
How to express that something is passed down, continues, or is transmitted across multiple generations in Japanese.
Describing customs, stories, skills, or heirlooms that are handed down from parents to children over many generations.
An adverb meaning 'for generations' or 'from generation to generation'. Used with verbs like 伝わる (be handed down) or 続く (continue).
This shop has been passed down from generation to generation.
That story has been told from generation to generation.
Emphasizes ancestral lineage: 'from ancestors for generations'. Often used for inherited land, businesses, or traditions.
We have protected the land passed down from generation to generation.
Pattern meaning 'is handed down from A to B'. Use 親から子へ (from parent to child) or 世代から世代へ (from generation to generation) to specify the chain.
This skill has been handed down from parent to child for generations.
Emphasizing the duration or continuity of something across multiple generations, like a family business or a long-standing tradition.
Literally 'spanning many generations'. Used to describe something that has lasted or will last for generations.
This family has lived in this village from generation to generation.
Means 'transcending generations' or 'across generations'. Often used for things that appeal to all ages or are passed beyond direct lineage.
Referring to physical features, talents, or personality traits that appear in multiple generations of a family.
代々 implies direct lineage (parent to child) and is often used for family businesses, traditions, or inherited items. 世代を超えて is broader and can mean something is popular or relevant across different age groups, not necessarily within the same family.
a long-established shop passed down for generations
a brand supported across generations
This song is loved from generation to generation.
This disease is passed down from generation to generation.