苗
seedling, sapling, shoot
Readings
On'yomi
- ビョウ
- ミョウ
Kun'yomi
- なえ
- なわ-
Nanori
- ねい
- のら
- みう
- みつ
Meaning
苗 centers on a young plant at an early stage of growth: a seedling, sapling, or shoot that has just emerged from the ground.
Most common words using 苗
20 of 31- 苗字みょうじN3
surname; family name; last name
- 苗なえN1
seedling; young plant
- 早苗さなえ
rice seedling
- 苗木なえぎ
seedling; sapling; young tree
- 種苗しゅびょう
seeds and seedlings
- 苗床なえどこ
seedbed; nursery; seed-plot
- 育苗いくびょう
raising seedlings
- 苗ミャオ
Miao (people); Hmong
- 早苗月さなえづき
fifth lunar month
- 早苗饗さなぶり
celebration for the end of rice planting; festival held when all rice has been planted
- 早苗鳥さなえどり
lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus)
- 桑苗そうびょう
mulberry seedling
- 玉苗たまなえ
rice seedling
- 痘苗とうびょう
vaccine
- 磚子苗くぐ
Pacific island flatsedge (Cyperus cyperoides)
- 種苗法しゅびょうほう
Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act
- 花苗はななえ
flower seedling
- 苗代なわしろ
rice nursery; bed for rice seedlings
- 苗代時なわしろどき
time to prepare a rice nursery
- 苗代苺なわしろいちご
native raspberry (Rubus parvifolius)
Study
Etymology
苗 combines 艹 (grass/plant) with 田 (field), depicting a young plant growing in a field. This is a straightforward semantic compound.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 艹 is a plant, and the bottom 田 is a field. Imagine a tiny green seedling pushing up through the soil of a field: that's 苗.
Reading mnemonic
For ビョウ, picture a seedling growing in a field that looks like a tiny bow (ビョウ) tied with a ribbon. The bow shape cues ビョウ while the seedling sprouts.