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Words Kanji Guides About

里芋 (さといも) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

里さと芋いも

さ

と

い

も

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

taro; dasheen; eddo

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the starchy root vegetable Colocasia esculenta, commonly used in Japanese cuisine.

里さと芋いもの煮にっころがしが大だい好すきです。
I love simmered taro.
この地ち域いきではサトイモがよく栽さい培ばいされている。
Taro is widely cultivated in this region.

Written forms

里さと芋いもUsage61%
Standard kanji spelling, though The word is usually written in kana.
サトイモUsage29%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is used in botanical or culinary contexts, or for emphasis.
さといもUsage10%
Hiragana spelling is common and matches usual-kana usage.

Kanji

里ri, village, parent's home
芋taro, yam, tuber

Similar words

じゃがいも
じゃがいも is potato, a different starchy tuber; 里芋 has a slimier texture and is used in distinct Japanese dishes.
さつまいも
さつまいも is sweet potato, which is sweeter and often used in desserts or tempura, unlike the savory 里芋.

Etymology

Compound of 里 (sato, 'village') and 芋 (imo, 'tuber'), literally 'village tuber', referring to its cultivation near human settlements.