蕪
turnip
Readings
On'yomi
- ブ
- ム
Kun'yomi
- かぶ
- かぶら
- あれる
Meaning
蕪 centers on the turnip plant, a root vegetable with edible leaves. The meaning is specific to this plant.
Most common words using 蕪
- 蕪かぶ
turnip (Brassica rapa)
- スウェーデン蕪スウェーデンかぶ
rutabaga (Brassica napobrassica); Swedish turnip; swede
- 和布蕪めかぶら
thick wakame leaves from near the stem
- 荒蕪地こうぶち
wild land; wasteland; wilderness
- 蕪汁かぶらじる
turnip miso soup
- 蕪菜かぶな
turnip (Brassica rapa)
- 蕪蒸しかぶらむし
steamed fish with grated turnip on top
- 蕪辞ぶじ
coarse speech or writing; humble reference to one's own words
- 蕪雑ぶざつ
disordered; confused; unpolished; rough
- 蕪鮨かぶらずし
narezushi of amberjack and turnip (Kanazawa speciality)
Study
Etymology
蕪 combines the plant radical 艹 with 無, which likely provides the sound. The character specifically refers to the turnip plant.
Meaning mnemonic
The grass radical 艹 sits above 無, like a turnip's leafy greens growing above the root. Think of the whole plant: leaves on top, turnip below.
Reading mnemonic
For ブ, imagine a turnip growing so big it makes a booming sound when it pops out of the ground: boom -> ブ. The turnip's leafy top rustles as it emerges.