Translation guide
The English phrase "the field" can refer to a physical open area, a specialized domain of study or work, or a practical setting outside the lab. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
A physical open space, often used for farming, sports, or nature.
Refers to a field or meadow, often grassy and uncultivated. Common in everyday speech.
子供たちが野原で遊んでいる。
The children are playing in the field.
A cultivated field for crops. Use for vegetable fields, wheat fields, etc.
彼は畑で野菜を育てている。
He grows vegetables in the field.
Specifically a rice paddy field. Very common in rural Japan.
田んぼに水を引く。
They irrigate the rice fields.
Loanword from English, used for sports fields or in academic contexts. Not for agricultural fields.
サッカーのフィールドは広い。
The soccer field is large.
A specialized area of knowledge, profession, or activity.
The most common word for an academic or professional field. Neutral and widely used.
彼は医学の分野で有名だ。
He is famous in the field of medicine.
Slightly more formal, often used for specialized or technical domains.
Used in academic contexts, especially when contrasting with theory or lab work. Often in compounds like フィールドワーク (fieldwork).
The real-world environment where practical work is done, as opposed to a controlled setting.
Refers to the actual site or scene of work, such as a construction site, crime scene, or any place where hands-on work happens.
現場の声を聞くことが大切だ。
It's important to listen to voices from the field.
Means practical or on-the-ground, often used in phrases like 実地調査 (field survey) or 実地経験 (field experience).
Again, the loanword is common in research or business contexts to mean 'out in the field'.
野原 is a grassy field or meadow, often wild. 畑 is a cultivated field for vegetables or dry crops. 田んぼ is specifically a flooded rice paddy. Use 畑 for most farming contexts unless it's rice.
Although フィールド is a direct loanword, it is not used for farm fields. Use 畑 or 田んぼ instead.
この研究は新しい領域を開拓した。
This research opened up a new field.
彼はフィールドワークでデータを集めた。
He collected data in the field.
There is a lot to learn in the field.
新製品をフィールドでテストする。
We test the new product in the field.