Japanese word

米

Pronunciation

Romajikome

Meaning

  • nounrice

Example

母は米を買います。haha wa kome o ka i ma su

My mother buys rice.

Illustration for 米 (rice)

More examples

毎朝、炊飯器で米を炊きます。mai asa sui han ki de kome o ta ki ma su

I cook rice in a rice cooker every morning.

Core concept

Refers to the edible grain obtained from rice plants and used as a staple food.

Common phrases

  • 米を炊くkome o ta ku

    cook rice

  • 米を研ぐkome o to gu

    rinse rice

  • 米を買うkome o ka u

    buy rice

Similar words

ご飯gohan: Cooked rice served as food, or a meal considered as a whole.
白米hakumai: Milled rice with its bran and germ removed, producing a white grain.
玄米genmai: Rice that retains its bran and germ and has a brown color.
ライスraisu: A loanword commonly used for rice served with Western style dishes.

Definition in Japanese

稲の実からもみ殻を取り除いた食用の穀粒。ine no jitsu ka ra mo mi gara o to ri nozo i ta shoku yō no koku ryū

Word origin

米 (kome, "rice") is a native Japanese word with an uncertain exact origin, while the kanji 米 (bei, "rice") was borrowed from Chinese writing.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 米 (kome) usually refers to uncooked rice, while cooked rice is commonly called ご飯 (gohan).

Word lists with this word