Japanese word

あん

Pronunciation

Romajian

Meaning

  • nounred bean paste

Example

私はあんが好きです。watashi wa a n ga su ki de su

I like red bean paste.

Illustration for あん (red bean paste)

More examples

この和菓子にはあんがたくさん入っています。ko no wa ka shi ni wa a n ga ta ku sa n hai tte i ma su

This Japanese sweet has a lot of red bean paste in it.

Core concept

Centers on a sweet bean mixture that is cooked, crushed, and used as a filling in sweets.

Common phrases

  • あんを入れるa n o i re ru

    add red bean paste

  • あんを詰めるa n o tsu me ru

    fill with red bean paste

  • あんを作るa n o tsuku ru

    make red bean paste

Similar words

あんこanko: An everyday term for the sweet bean filling used in many Japanese sweets.

Definition in Japanese

小豆を煮てつぶし、砂糖などを加えて練った甘いペースト。azuki o ni te tsu bu shi sa tō na do o kuwa e te ne tta ama i pē su to

Word origin

The Japanese noun あん (an, "bean paste") comes from 餡 (an, "filling"), a Chinese term for a food filling, and Japanese usage commonly applies it to sweet bean paste.

Usage tips

  • The word あん (an, "red bean paste") appears in food names such as あんパン (anpan), where it describes the filling and not the bread surrounding it.

Word lists with this word