麦
barley, wheat
Readings
On'yomi
- バク
Kun'yomi
- むぎ
Meaning
麦 centers on cereal grains, specifically barley and wheat, which are staple crops used for food and drink.
Most common words using 麦
20 of 111- 蕎麦そばN4
buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)
- 麦むぎN1
wheat; barley; oat (oats)
- 小麦こむぎN3
wheat
- 小麦粉こむぎこN1
wheat flour
- 麦茶むぎちゃ
barley tea
- 大麦おおむぎN1
barley (Hordeum vulgare)
- 麦わらむぎわら
wheat straw; barley straw
- ライ麦ライむぎ
rye (Secale cereale)
- 麦芽ばくが
malt
- 麦わら帽子むぎわらぼうし
straw hat
- 小麦色こむぎいろ
light brown; golden brown; tan
- 麦酒ばくしゅ
beer
- 麦飯むぎめし
boiled barley and rice
- はと麦はとむぎ
adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen); Job's tears; coixseed; tear grass; adlai
- 麦畑むぎばたけ
wheat field; barley field; cornfield
- 麦秋ばくしゅう
wheat harvest
- 蕎麦屋そばやN1
soba restaurant
- えん麦えんばく
oat (Avena sativa); oats
- お亀蕎麦おかめそば
soba in soup with slices of boiled fish paste, shiitake mushrooms, greens, seaweed, etc.
- かけ蕎麦かけそば
soba in hot broth; soba without any trimmings
Study
Etymology
麦 is a pictograph of a wheat or barley plant with a stalk and hanging grain head. The modern form retains the plant-like shape with the top 龶 representing the grain head and the bottom 夂 suggesting the stalk and roots.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 龶 looks like a grain head with awns, and the bottom 夂 resembles a stalk with roots. Together they form a cereal plant: barley or wheat.
Reading mnemonic
For バク, imagine a farmer backing up a truck full of barley: back -> バク, and the truck is loaded with 麦.