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Kotomora

蜜

honey, nectar, molasses

StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes14

Readings

On'yomi

  • ミツ
  • ビツ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

蜜 centers on thick, sweet substances produced by nature: honey from bees, nectar from flowers, and by extension molasses as a similar sugary syrup.

Most common words using 蜜

20 of 68
  • 蜜柑みかん
    N5

    mandarin (esp. the satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu)); mandarin orange; tangerine; clementine; satsuma

  • 蜜みつ
    N1

    nectar

  • 蜂蜜はちみつ
    N1

    honey

  • 蜜蜂みつばち

    honeybee (Apis sp.); honey bee

  • 蜜月みつげつ

    honeymoon

  • 糖蜜とうみつ

    molasses; black treacle

  • 蜜蝋みつろう

    beeswax

  • 水蜜すいみつ

    white peach

  • ハワイ蜜吸ハワイみつすい

    Hawaiian honeycreeper

  • ボストン糖蜜災害ボストンとうみつさいがい

    Boston Molasses Disaster (January 15, 1919); Great Molasses Flood

  • 仁王般若波羅蜜経にんのうはんにゃはらみつきょう

    Humane King Sutra

  • 他人の不幸は蜜の味たにんのふこうはみつのあじ

    the misfortune of others tastes as sweet as honey

  • 六波羅蜜ろくはらみつ

    the six virtues (perfections) a Buddha elect practices to attain supreme enlightenment

  • 分蜜糖ぶんみつとう

    centrifugal sugar; sugar freed from liquid by a centrifuge

  • 口に蜜あり腹に剣ありくちにみつありはらにけんあり

    honey in one's mouth but a razor in one's belt

  • 含蜜糖がんみつとう

    non-centrifugal sugar; sugar extracted by evaporation

  • 小蜜柑草こみかんそう

    chamberbitter (Phyllanthus urinaria); gripeweed; shatterstone; stonebreaker; leafflower

  • 山蜜やまみつ

    wild honey

  • 廃糖蜜はいとうみつ

    molasses; black treacle

  • 採蜜さいみつ

    harvesting honey; gathering nectar

Explore all words using 蜜 →

Study

Etymology

蜜 combines 虫 (insect) with 宓, which likely contributes the sound. The insect component points to honeybees, making the character a phono-semantic compound for honey.

Meaning mnemonic

Under a roof (宀) with a heart (心) inside, an insect (虫) works to produce sweet honey. The top part 宓 suggests something hidden or secret, like honey stored in a hive.

Reading mnemonic

For ミツ, imagine a bee making sweet honey that tastes like a Mitsu apple: Mitsu -> ミツ, and the insect (虫) brings the honey.