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Kotomora

麦

barley, wheat

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes7

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

Explore all words using 麦 →

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.