Proverb / Kotowaza
暑さ忘れりゃ蔭忘る
People forget the help and kindness they received during a crisis once the difficulty has passed.
Once the heat is forgotten, the shade is forgotten.
Quick Answer
People forget the help and kindness they received during a crisis once the difficulty has passed.
- Literal Image
- Once the heat is forgotten, the shade is forgotten.
- How to Use It
- Used to describe or criticize someone who fails to show gratitude or forgets their benefactors once they no longer need help.
Meaning
This proverb describes the human tendency to forget the gratitude owed to those who helped during hard times as soon as the trouble is over. Just as one forgets the value of shade once the summer heat fades, people fail to remember the support they relied on once they are back in a comfortable position.
Literal Image
Once the heat is forgotten, the shade is forgotten.
How to Use It
Used to describe or criticize someone who fails to show gratitude or forgets their benefactors once they no longer need help.
Tone
This expression carries a critical or cautionary tone regarding ingratitude.
Examples
夏が終わったら木陰の涼しさも忘れてしまった。暑さ忘れりゃ蔭忘るとはよく言ったものだ。
Now that summer is over, I've already forgotten how much I needed the coolness of the shade. It’s just like they say: 'once the heat is forgotten, the shade is forgotten.'
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses the conditional '-rya' form and the literary 'wasuru' ending, making it slightly more advanced than standard conversational Japanese.
暑さ
あつさ / atsusa
heat
忘れりゃ
わすれりゃ / wasurerya
if/once [one] forgets
蔭
かげ / kage
shade
忘る
わする / wasuru
to forget (literary form)
Usage Profile
Usage note: Use this for situations involving a loss of gratitude, not just bad memory.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to simply say someone has a bad memory; it specifically refers to forgetting favors or support received during a time of need.
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Origin
The expression comes from the observation that while people deeply appreciate the shade of a tree during the scorching heat of summer, they quickly forget its value once the cool season arrives.
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Source Note
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