Proverb / Kotowaza
悪妻は六十年の不作
Marrying an unsuitable wife results in a lifetime of hardship comparable to sixty years of crop failure.
A bad wife is sixty years of bad harvests.
Quick Answer
Marrying an unsuitable wife results in a lifetime of hardship comparable to sixty years of crop failure.
- Literal Image
- A bad wife is sixty years of bad harvests.
- Closest Equivalent
- A bad wife spoils a good husband.
- How to Use It
- Used to describe the long-term misery or ruin caused by an unfortunate marriage.
Meaning
This expression uses the metaphor of an agricultural catastrophe to illustrate the impact of an unfortunate marriage. It suggests that the consequences of a bad marital match are so severe that they lead to sixty years of suffering, which was historically seen as a full lifetime. The imagery emphasizes that such a marriage can ruin a person's life just as repeated bad harvests could ruin a farm.
Literal Image
A bad wife is sixty years of bad harvests.
Equivalent Proverbs
A bad wife spoils a good husband.
Similar lesson about marital influence but uses different imagery.
How to Use It
Used to describe the long-term misery or ruin caused by an unfortunate marriage.
Tone
A traditional, critical, and cautionary expression reflecting historical agricultural values.
Examples
彼と結婚して何十年も苦労が続いている。まさに「悪妻は六十年の不作」だと周囲は思った
He has been suffering for decades after marrying her. Those around him thought, 'She is truly a bad wife who brings sixty years of bad harvests.'
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The grammar is simple, but the vocabulary like 'fusaku' and the specific numerical idiom make it less transparent for beginners.
悪妻
あくさい / akusai
bad wife
六十年
ろくじゅうねん / rokujunen
sixty years
不作
ふさく / fusaku
bad harvest; crop failure
Usage Profile
Usage note: This proverb reflects traditional gender roles and may be considered offensive in modern settings.
Misread Risk
Do not interpret this only as a literal statement about agriculture; the focus is on the enduring damage of an unfortunate marriage.
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Origin
In an agricultural society, sixty years of consecutive bad harvests was a catastrophe that could destroy a household. This proverb compares the lasting misery of an unsuitable marriage to that level of agricultural ruin.
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Source Note
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