米よね

noun

88 years old

Used as a playful or auspicious way to refer to the age of 88, based on the decomposition of the kanji 米 into 八十八 (eighty-eight). Often seen in contexts like longevity celebrations.

• 祖そ父ふは米べい寿じゅを迎むかえ、米よねの字じのように八はち十じゅう八はっ歳さいになった。

  My grandfather celebrated his 88th birthday, turning 88 like the character 米.

noun

rice

Archaic reading for 'rice'. In modern Japanese, 米 is read as こめ for the meaning 'rice'. This reading よね is no longer used for that meaning.

See also: 米 (こめ)

• 古こ語ごでは「よね」と読よんで米こめを指さしたが、現げん代だいでは「こめ」が一いっ般ぱん的てきである。

  In old language, 米 was read as よね to mean rice, but today こめ is common.