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孟宗竹 (もうそうちく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

もうそうちく

also: もうそうだけ

も

う

そ

う

ち

く

Meanings

1

noun

moso bamboo; Phyllostachys edulis

usually written using kana alone

A large bamboo species widely cultivated in Japan for its edible shoots (takenoko) and timber.

孟もう宗そう竹ちくのたけのこは大おおきくて柔やわらかい。
Moso bamboo shoots are large and tender.
この辺あたりには孟もう宗そう

竹ちく

の

林はやし

が

広ひろ

がっ

て

いる

。

A grove of moso bamboo spreads around this area.

Written forms

孟宗竹
- もうそうちく
  Standard kanji spelling for this bamboo species.
- もうそうだけ
もうそうだけ
Alternate reading; less common than もうそうちく.
モウソウダケ
kana-only spelling
モウソウチク
kana-only spelling

Kanji

孟chief, beginning
宗religion, sect, denomination
竹bamboo

Similar words

竹たけ
Generic term for bamboo; 孟宗竹 refers specifically to the moso bamboo species.
たけのこ
Bamboo shoot; 孟宗竹 is one of the main species harvested for its shoots.

Etymology

The name 孟宗竹 derives from a Chinese legend about a filial son named 孟宗 who searched for bamboo shoots in winter. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with this story.