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もちきび Japanese meaning | Kotomora

もちきび

Meanings

1

noun

glutinous millet; sticky millet

usually written using kana alone

A type of millet with a sticky, glutinous texture when cooked; used in traditional Japanese confectionery and porridge.

もちきびは、もち米ごめのように粘ねばり気けがある雑ざっ穀こくです。
Glutinous millet is a grain that becomes sticky like glutinous rice.
このお菓か子しにはもちきびが使つかわれています。
This sweet is made with glutinous millet.

Written forms

もちきびUsage100%
Kana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
糯黍もちきび
Kanji form using 糯 (glutinous) and 黍 (millet); rarely used.
餅もち黍きび
Kanji form using 餅 (mochi) and 黍 (millet); rarely used.
モチキビ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, often used in botanical or culinary contexts.

Kanji

糯

glutinous rice

黍millet

餅mochi rice cake

Similar words

もち米ごめ
もち米 is glutinous rice, while もちきび is glutinous millet; both are sticky when cooked but come from different grains.
きび
きび is common (non-glutinous) millet; もちきび is a specific sticky variety.

Etymology

Compound of もち (glutinous) and きび (millet). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name directly describes its sticky texture.