自然
shizennoun★Beginner
general
The natural world; the physical phenomena and life forms that exist without human intervention.
自然公園でハイキングを楽しんだ。
We enjoyed hiking in the nature park.
💡
Often contrasted with human-made or artificial things.
general
The inherent qualities or tendencies of something; naturalness.
その笑顔は自然だった。
Her smile was natural.
💡
Can refer to spontaneity or lack of affectation.
Collocations
自然とnaturally自然にnaturally自然現象natural phenomenon
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
自然にphrase
naturally
自然とphrase
naturally
💡Pro Tip
Natural vs. Artificial
自然 often contrasts with 人工 (artificial) or 人為 (man-made).
⚡Gold Rule
Adverbial Usage
自然 can function as an adverb (自然に) meaning 'naturally' or 'spontaneously'.
📖Word Origin
From Middle Chinese 自然 (zi4 ran3), meaning 'natural' or 'spontaneous'.
📝Usage Notes
Can be used both as a noun and an adverb (自然に) meaning 'naturally'.
Word Breakdown
自
self
root然
so, thus
root和英辞典