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Kotomora

菓

candy, cakes, fruit

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes11

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

Explore all words using 菓 →

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.