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望郷の念 (boukyounonen) Japanese meaning: homesickness | Kotomora

望ぼう郷きょうの念ねん

ぼ

う

きょ

う

の

ね

ん

Meanings

1

homesickness; longing for home

A somewhat literary or formal expression for a deep yearning for one's hometown or homeland.

異い国こくで暮くらしていると、望ぼう郷きょうの念ねんにかられる

こと

が

ある

。

Living in a foreign country, I sometimes feel a deep longing for home.

Kanji

望ambition, full moon, hope
郷home town, village, native place
念wish, sense, idea

Related words

郷きょう愁しゅう
郷愁 is a more common and slightly less formal word for nostalgia or homesickness, while 望郷の念 is a more literary, explicit phrase meaning 'thoughts of longing for home'.
ホームシック
ホームシック is a casual loanword for homesickness, often used in everyday conversation, whereas 望郷の念 is a formal, literary expression.

Built from

望ぼう郷きょう+念ねん

Etymology

Compound of 望郷 (ぼうきょう, 'longing for home') and 念 (ねん, 'thought, feeling'). 望郷 itself is a Sino-Japanese word composed of 望 (hope, desire) and 郷 (hometown).