1An open, level stretch of natural land — as opposed to mountains or rivers — often referring to a wide uncultivated area, unlike a rice paddy or field.
秋になると、野は一面すすきで覆われる。
In autumn, the plain is covered with silver grass from end to end.
遠くの野に牛が放牧されているのが見えた。
I could see cattle grazing on the distant plain.
子どもの頃はよく野を駆け回って遊んだ。
As a child, I often ran around and played in the fields.
その画家は野に咲く花をよく描いた。
That painter often depicted flowers blooming in the fields.
2In construction and carpentry, a rough or unfinished structural member hidden beneath the finished surface.
床の仕上げ材をはがすと、野地板が現れた。
When the flooring was peeled back, the rough subfloor boards appeared.
野縁は天井板を支えるための下地材だ。
Furring strips (noburi) are the underlying members that support the ceiling boards.
3Used as a prefix attached to nouns to mean 'wild' or 'untamed,' as opposed to domesticated or cultivated.
裏山では野ウサギをよく見かける。
You often see wild rabbits on the hill behind the house.
野花を摘んで花瓶に飾った。
I picked wildflowers and put them in a vase.
森には野鳥がたくさん住んでいる。
Many wild birds live in the forest.
4A prefix used in politics to indicate not holding governmental power, as in 野党 ('opposition party').
野党は政府の政策を厳しく批判した。
The opposition party sharply criticized the government's policy.
彼は大臣を辞め、野に下った。
He resigned as minister and returned to private life outside government.