Japanese word

麦

Pronunciation

Romajimugi

Meaning

  • nounwheat

Example

秋に麦を植えます。aki ni mugi o u e ma su

I plant wheat in the fall.

Illustration for 麦 (wheat)

More examples

農家の人が収穫した麦を倉庫に運びます。nō ka no hito ga shū kaku shi ta mugi o sō ko ni hako bi ma su

The farmer takes the harvested wheat to the warehouse.

Core concept

麦 (mugi) refers to cereal grains cultivated for food, with the specific kind determined by context.

Common phrases

  • 麦を植えるmugi o u e ru

    plant wheat

  • 麦を育てるmugi o soda te ru

    grow wheat

  • 麦を刈るmugi o ka ru

    harvest wheat

Similar words

小麦komugi: A cereal grain commonly ground into flour for bread, noodles, and other foods.
大麦ōmugi: A cereal grain used for food, animal feed, and drinks such as barley tea.

Definition in Japanese

小麦や大麦など、イネ科の穀物の総称。ko mugi ya ō mugi na do i ne ka no koku motsu no sō shō

Word origin

The native Japanese word 麦 (mugi) is written with the Chinese character 麦, whose original meaning is a cereal grain; the older origin of mugi itself is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • The compound 麦茶 (mugicha) commonly means barley tea, showing that 麦 (mugi) does not always mean wheat in a food name.

Other meanings

  • barleynoun
  • oatsnoun

Word lists with this word