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Kotomora

米

rice, USA, metre

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 100Strokes6

Readings

On'yomi

  • ベイ
  • マイ
  • メエトル

Kun'yomi

  • こめ
  • よね

Nanori

  • は
  • べ
  • まべ
  • め

Meaning

米 centers on rice as a staple grain. The meanings 'USA' and 'metre' are phonetic borrowings used in ateji compounds, not extensions of the rice idea.

Most common words using 米

24 of 425
  • 米こめ
    N4

    (husked grains of) rice

  • 米べい

    (United States of) America; USA

  • 米国べいこく

    (United States of) America; USA; US

  • 欧米おうべい
    N3

    Europe and the United States; Europe and America; the West

  • 全米ぜんべい

    all-America; pan-American; all of America

  • 北米ほくべい

    North America

  • 南米なんべい
    N2

    South America

  • 新米しんまい
    N1

    new rice; first rice crop of the year

  • 白米はくまい

    polished rice; (uncooked) white rice

  • 玄米げんまい

    unpolished rice; unmilled rice; brown rice

  • 米倉こめぐら

    rice granary

  • 中南米ちゅうなんべい
    N3

    Central and South America

  • 精米せいまい

    rice polishing; polished rice

  • 反米はんべい

    anti-American

  • 訪米ほうべい

    visit to the United States

  • 在米ざいべい

    staying in the United States; residing in the United States; being situated in the United States (of a foreign embassy, company, etc.)

  • 米飯べいはん

    cooked rice

  • 米人べいじん

    American (person)

  • 米穀べいこく

    rice

  • 米価べいか
    N1

    rice price

  • 日米にちべい
    N1

    Japan and the United States; Japanese-American

  • 対米たいべい

    relating to the USA; toward America; with America

  • 外米がいまい

    foreign rice

  • 米粒こめつぶ

    grain of rice

Explore all words using 米 →

Study

Etymology

米 is a pictograph of a rice plant with grains. The modern form retains the central stalk and radiating grains.

Meaning mnemonic

The four small strokes around the central cross look like grains of rice on a plant. Picture a rice stalk with grains ready for harvest.

Reading mnemonic

For ベイ, imagine a bay where rice is grown: bay -> ベイ, and the rice fields stretch along the water.