菓
candy, cakes, fruit
Readings
On'yomi
- カ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
菓 centers on sweet edible treats, especially those made from fruit or plant-based ingredients: candy, cakes, and confections. The fruit sense is the original plant product that often becomes a sweet.
Most common words using 菓
20 of 75- お菓子おかしN4
confections; sweets; candy; cake
- 菓子かしN4
confectionery; sweets; candy; cake
- 和菓子わがし
wagashi; traditional Japanese confectionery
- 駄菓子だがし
penny candy; cheap individually wrapped sweets
- 製菓せいか
confectionery production
- 洋菓子ようがし
Western confectionery
- スナック菓子スナックがし
snack food (esp. potato chips, popcorn, etc.); munchie
- 氷菓ひょうか
frozen dessert (e.g. ice cream, sorbet, ice pop)
- 氷菓ひょうか
Hyōka (2001 novel and media franchise)
- 菓子パンかしパン
baked sweet goods (e.g. Danish pastry, melon bread); sweet pastry; sweet bread
- 銘菓めいか
excellent sweet; confection of an established name
- 菓か
fruit
- 茶菓子ちゃがし
cake served with tea; teacake
- 生菓子なまがし
fresh Japanese sweets (usu. containing red bean paste)
- 亀田製菓かめだせいか
Kameda Seika Company
- 菓子屋かしや
confectionery shop; candy store; sweet shop
- お菓子屋おかしや
confectionery shop; candy store; sweet shop
- 駄菓子屋だがしや
small-time candy store; penny candy store
- お菓子作りおかしづくり
confectionery making
- もち菓子もちがし
bean-jam cake; rice-cake sweets
Study
Etymology
菓 combines the plant radical 艹 with 果 (fruit), suggesting a plant-based sweet or fruit-derived confection. The character likely developed to specifically denote sweets and cakes made from fruits or plants.
Meaning mnemonic
The plant top 艹 sits above 果 (fruit). Picture fruit from a plant being turned into candy and cakes: 菓 is the sweet result.
Reading mnemonic
For カ, imagine a car filled with candy and cakes: car -> カ, and the sweets are made from fruit.