Japanese word

粒

Pronunciation

Romajitsubu

Meaning

  • noungrain

Example

米の粒を数えます。bei no tsubu o kazo e ma su

I count grains of rice.

Illustration for 粒 (grain)

More examples

瓶の底に砂の粒が残っています。bin no soko ni suna no tsubu ga noko tte i ma su

A grain of sand remains at the bottom of the bottle.

Core concept

Marks one small, separate unit of a substance, often something that can be counted individually, such as a grain, bead, particle, or drop.

Common phrases

  • 粒が細かいtsubu ga koma ka i

    be fine-grained

  • 粒が粗いtsubu ga ara i

    be coarse-grained

  • 一粒ずつichi tsubu zu tsu

    one grain at a time

Definition in Japanese

米や砂などの小さく丸みを帯びた一つ一つの物。また、そのような形状のものを数える語。bei ya suna na do no chii sa ku maru mi o o bi ta hito tsu hito tsu no mono ma ta so no yō na kei jō no mo no o kazo e ru go

Word origin

The Japanese noun 粒 (tsubu) is a native word, written with the kanji 粒, which conveys the idea of a small, separate unit; its earlier word history is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 粒 (tsubu) applies not only to grains but also to pills, beans, berries, and other small items when each unit is viewed separately.

Other meanings

  • particlenoun
  • beadnoun
  • dropnoun

Word lists with this word