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Words Kanji Guides About

ニガヨモギ

に

が

よ

も

ぎ

Meanings

1

noun

wormwood; absinthe

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the plant Artemisia absinthium, known for its bitter taste and use in absinthe. The word is usually written in katakana as ニガヨモギ.

ニガヨモギはハーブの一いっ種しゅで、苦にがみが強つよい。
Wormwood is a type of herb with a strong bitterness.
アブサンはニガヨモギから作つくられるお酒さけだ。
Absinthe is a liquor made from wormwood.

Written forms

ニガヨモギUsage75%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
にがよもぎUsage25%
Hiragana spelling is also used, especially in informal or explanatory contexts.
苦艾
- にがよもぎ
  Kanji spelling is rare and may not be widely recognized; 艾 is not a jōyō kanji.
- くがい
くがい

Kanji

苦suffering, trial, worry
艾moxa, sagebrush, wormwood

Similar words

ヨモギ
ヨモギ (mugwort) is a related but different plant, commonly used in Japanese cooking and traditional medicine, while ニガヨモギ is specifically wormwood, known for its bitterness and use in absinthe.

Etymology

Compound of 苦 (にが, 'bitter') + ヨモギ (mugwort). The reading くがい is the on'yomi of the kanji 苦艾, but it is rarely used.