📖 Study Guide
Learn Japanese through stories.
These stories include Japanese culture,
daily life, travel experiences,
and conversations between people.
1. Read the English text.
2. Read the Japanese text.
3. Use Romaji if needed.
4. Review the vocabulary.
🌸 Story
Sakura and Sumire were talking about dinner.
夕食のことを話していた、さくらとすみれ。
Yūshoku no koto o hanashite ita, Sakura to Sumire.
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
Hey, Sumire. Autumn eggplant is delicious, right? 😊
ねぇ、すみれ。秋茄子って、おいしいんだよね😊
Nē, Sumire. Akinasu tte, oishii n da yo ne. 😊
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
Yeah. 😊 Grilled eggplant is so good.
うん😊 焼き茄子とか、おいしいよねー。
Un. 😊 Yakinasu toka, oishii yo nē.
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
Come to think of it… There’s a saying, “Don’t let the daughter-in-law eat autumn eggplant,” right?
そういえばさぁ。「秋茄子は嫁に食わすな」っていうよね？
Sō ieba sā. “Akinasu wa yome ni kuwasu na” tte iu yo ne?
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
But… why isn’t the daughter-in-law allowed to eat it?
でも……なんでお嫁さんは、食べちゃダメなの？
Demo… nande oyome-san wa, tabecha dame na no?
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
Oh… I wonder why. 🤔
あ……なんでだろ？🤔
A… nande daro? 🤔
🐈 ハチ先生｜Hachi
There are several interpretations, meow.
それには、いくつかの解釈があるにゃ。
Sore ni wa, ikutsuka no kaishaku ga aru nya.
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
🐈 ハチ先生｜Hachi
One interpretation is rather mean: autumn eggplant is so delicious that the family does not want the daughter-in-law to have any, meow.
ひとつは、秋茄子はとてもおいしいから、お嫁さんには食べさせたくない、という意地悪な意味にとらえる説があるにゃ。
Hitotsu wa, akinasu wa totemo oishii kara, oyome-san ni wa tabesasetakunai, to iu ijiwaru na imi ni toraeru setsu ga aru nya.
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
What? 😱 That’s so mean! 💦
えー😱 意地悪じゃん💦
Ē! 😱 Ijiwaru jan! 💦
🐈 ハチ先生｜Hachi
Another interpretation says people believed eggplant cooled the body, so the saying was meant to protect the daughter-in-law’s health, meow.
もうひとつは、茄子は体を冷やすと考えられていたから、お嫁さんの体を気づかって食べさせないようにした、という説もあるにゃ。
Mō hitotsu wa, nasu wa karada o hiyasu to kangaerarete ita kara, oyome-san no karada o kizukatte tabesasenai yō ni shita, to iu setsu mo aru nya.
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
That’s completely different! 💦
さっきと全然違う💦
Sakki to zenzen chigau! 💦
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
So is it mean, or is it kind…? Which one is it? 🤔
意地悪なのか、優しいのか……どっちなんだろー？🤔
Ijiwaru na no ka, yasashii no ka… dotchi nan darō? 🤔
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
But you know…
でもさぁ……
Demo sā…
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
🌷 すみれ｜Sumire
Even if they say, “Don’t let the daughter-in-law eat it”… who do they expect to cook the eggplant dish? 💢
「嫁に食わすな」って言われても……その茄子を使った料理は、誰が作るのよ💢
“Yome ni kuwasu na” tte iwarete mo… sono nasu o tsukatta ryōri wa, dare ga tsukuru no yo! 💢
🌸 さくら｜Sakura
Exactly! 💦
そうだよねー💦
Sō da yo nē! 💦
🐈 ハチ先生｜Hachi
An old proverb can look very different when we consider it from a modern perspective, meow. 😹
昔のことわざを、今の感覚で考えてみると、また違って見えてくるにゃ😹
Mukashi no kotowaza o, ima no kankaku de kangaete miru to, mata chigatte miete kuru nya. 😹
Sakura and Sumire looked at each other and laughed.
さくらとすみれは顔を見合わせて、笑った。
Sakura to Sumire wa kao o miawasete, waratta.
💭 Story Note
「秋茄子は嫁に食わすな」 is an old Japanese proverb with several possible interpretations, and its exact origin is not certain.
One interpretation sounds unkind: autumn eggplant is too delicious to share with the daughter-in-law. Another sounds caring: eggplant was believed to cool the body, so the saying warned against giving it to her.
In this proverb, 嫁（よめ / yome）is usually understood as “daughter-in-law.” In modern conversation, however, 嫁 may also be used to mean “wife,” depending on the speaker and context.
Looking at an old expression from a modern perspective can reveal both changes in language and changes in society.
📚 Vocabulary
Here are five useful words and expressions from today’s story.
🌱 Language Tip
**ことわざ（kotowaza）** means “proverb.”
A ことわざ is a short saying passed down through generations. It often expresses wisdom, advice, or a traditional way of thinking.
Not every ことわざ has only one simple meaning. Some, like 「秋茄子は嫁に食わすな」, have several interpretations.
🔰 Mix Words and Feel Their Meaning｜ことばを混ぜて、感覚をつかもう
Try using **ことわざ** inside an English sentence. This helps you feel how the Japanese word works in context.
– This ことわざ has more than one interpretation.
– My grandmother taught me this ことわざ.
– Do you know a ことわざ about food?
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