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Kotomora

菖

iris

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōStrokes11

Readings

On'yomi

  • ショウ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

菖 centers on the iris plant, specifically the sweet flag or calamus variety, often associated with the Japanese Iris Festival.

Most common words using 菖

  • 菖蒲あやめ

    iris (flower)

  • 菖蒲しょうぶ

    sweet flag (Acorus calamus); calamus

  • 花菖蒲はなしょうぶ

    Japanese iris; blue flag; Iris ensata

  • いずれ菖蒲か杜若いずれあやめかかきつばた

    (of a choice) one being as excellent as the other; both so beautiful it is hard to choose between

  • オランダ菖蒲オランダあやめ

    gladiolus

  • ドイツ菖蒲ドイツあやめ

    German iris (Iris germanica)

  • 伊勢花菖蒲いせはなしょうぶ

    Iris ensata; Ise Japanese iris

  • 六日の菖蒲むいかのあやめ

    something that comes too late to be useful; iris (blooming) on the 6th (i.e. one day too late for the Boy's Day celebration)

  • 匂い菖蒲においしょうぶ

    fragrant iris; sweet flag; orris

  • 庭石菖にわぜきしょう

    blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium rosulatum)

  • 檜扇菖蒲ひおうぎあやめ

    Arctic iris (Iris setosa)

  • 江戸花菖蒲えどはなしょうぶ

    Iris ensata; Edo Japanese iris

  • 狸菖蒲たぬきおやめ

    wooly frogsmouth (Philydrum lanuginosum); wooly waterlily

  • 石菖せきしょう

    Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus)

  • 肥後花菖蒲ひごはなしょうぶ

    Iris ensata; Higo Japanese iris

  • 菖蒲湯しょうぶゆ

    bathwater with iris leaves; sweet-flag bath

  • 黄菖蒲きしょうぶ

    yellow iris

Explore all words using 菖 →

Study

Etymology

菖 combines the grass radical 艹 with 昌, which likely provides the sound ショウ. The character refers to a specific fragrant iris used in traditional festivals.

Meaning mnemonic

The grass radical 艹 sits above 昌, like the leaves of an iris plant rising above two suns. Imagine the iris blooming under bright sunlight.

Reading mnemonic

For ショウ, picture a show of irises at a festival: show -> ショウ, and the iris leaves wave in the breeze.