Japanese word

餅

Pronunciation

Romajimochi

Meaning

  • nounrice cake

Example

この餅は柔らかいです。ko no mochi wa yawa ra ka i de su

This rice cake is soft.

Illustration for 餅 (rice cake)

More examples

正月には餅を食べます。shō gatsu ni wa mochi o ta be ma su

We eat rice cakes at New Year's.

Core concept

Refers to a soft, sticky rice cake formed from cooked glutinous rice and commonly eaten as a snack or part of a meal.

Common phrases

  • 餅を焼くmochi o ya ku

    toast a rice cake

  • 餅を食べるmochi o ta be ru

    eat a rice cake

Definition in Japanese

蒸したもち米をついて粘りを出し、形を整えて食べる食品。mu shi ta mo chi gome o tsu i te neba ri o da shi katachi o totono e te ta be ru shoku hin

Word origin

The Japanese noun 餅 (mochi, "rice cake") is a native Japanese term represented by the Chinese character 餅, whose recorded meaning is also "rice cake"; its earlier word history is unclear.

Usage tips

  • In English, mochi is a familiar loanword in food descriptions, especially in mochi ice cream, although Japanese 餅 (mochi) includes many kinds of rice cake.

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