Chō yo Hana yo (蝶よ花よ – Bringing up with Affection)
Chō yo Hana yo
蝶よ花よ
The Japanese phrase, chō yo hana yo (蝶よ花よ), can express a situation where parents raise their children with great care.
親が子どもをとても大切に育てることを、「蝶よ花よ」と表現することがあります。
Since chō (蝶) means “butterfly,” and hana (花) means “flower,” the literal meaning of chō yo hana yo is “(you are) a butterfly, a flower.”
「蝶」は “batterfly”、「花」は “flower” を意味するので、「蝶よ花よ」の文字どおりの意味は “(you are) a butterfly, a flower” となります。
In Japan, both the terms “butterfly” and “flower” are used as metaphors for something delicate and beautiful, and they also carry the meaning of something to be cherished with great care.
「蝶」も「花」も、可憐で美しいもののたとえとして使われる言葉であり、慈しむ対象としての意味も持つというわけです。
As you can easily imagine, this phrase is usually used for daughters.
この言葉はご想像のとおり、女児に対して用いられることが多いです。
