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ふるさと Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ふるさと

ふ

る

さ

と

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun

hometown; birthplace; native place; old home

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the place one is from or feels emotionally rooted in. It often has a nostalgic or affectionate tone, not just a factual address.

See also: 故郷 (こきょう)

正しょう月がつにはふるさとに帰かえるつもりです。
I plan to go back to my hometown for New Year's.

この歌うたを聞きくと、ふるさとを思おもい出だす。

When I hear this song, I remember my old home.

2

noun

ruins; historic remains

archaic

Archaic use found in older or literary contexts; it is not the normal modern meaning of ふるさと.

古こ文ぶんでは、「ふるさと」が住すむ人ひとのいなくなった旧きゅう跡せきを指さすことがある。
In classical writing, furusato can refer to old remains where people no longer live.

Written forms

ふるさとUsage93%
The main modern sense is usually written in kana; this is a very common practical spelling.
古ふる里さとUsage4%
Common alternative kanji spelling, transparently suggesting an old home village or native place.
ふる里さとUsage2%
search-only kanji form
Mixed kana-kanji form marked search-only; included for lookup rather than as a recommended spelling.
故ふる里さとUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; useful for recognition but not recommended for ordinary writing.
故ふる郷さとUsage<1%
Common kanji spelling for the sentimental or written form of ふるさと. The same spelling also has the Sino-Japanese reading こきょう in a related entry.

Kanji

故happenstance, especially, intentionally
郷home town, village, native place
古old
里

Similar words

故こ郷きょう
Also means hometown or native place, but the reading こきょう is more Sino-Japanese and often feels more formal or written than ふるさと.
地じ元もと
Means one's local area or home area in a more everyday, less nostalgic way; it can refer to where one lives or belongs locally, not necessarily one's birthplace.
出しゅっ身しん地ち
A factual term for place of origin or birthplace, often used on forms and in introductions; it lacks the emotional warmth of ふるさと.

Etymology

A native Japanese word commonly understood as combining the idea of 古い, 'old,' with 里, 'village; home area.' The spellings 故郷 and 古里 conventionally connect the word with one's old home or native place.

ri, village, parent's home