Japanese word

稲

Pronunciation

Romajiine

Meaning

  • nounrice plant

Example

農家の人が稲を育てています。nō ka no hito ga ine o soda te te i ma su

The farmer is growing rice plants.

Illustration for 稲 (rice plant)

More examples

秋になると、稲が黄金色に実ります。aki ni na ru to ine ga ko gane iro ni mino ri ma su

As autumn arrives, the rice plants turn golden.

Core concept

It refers to the living plant cultivated in fields before its grains become rice for eating.

Common phrases

  • 稲を植えるine o u e ru

    plant rice seedlings

  • 稲を育てるine o soda te ru

    grow rice

  • 稲を刈るine o ka ru

    harvest rice

Definition in Japanese

水田などで栽培し、米を実らせる植物。sui den na do de sai bai shi bei o mino ra se ru shoku butsu

Word origin

The native word 稲 (ine, "rice plant") has an early written history, but no deeper derivation is certain; the related compound 稲穂 (inaho, "rice ear") names its grain-bearing head.

Usage tips

  • English uses rice for both the crop and its grains, while rice plant specifically names the living plant growing in a field.

Other meanings

  • rice cropnoun
  • rice stalknoun

Word lists with this word