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ギンモクセイ (ぎんもくせい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ギンモクセイ

ぎ

ん

も

く

せ

い

Meanings

1

noun

fragrant olive; sweet olive; tea olive

usually written using kana alone

An evergreen shrub known for its small, highly fragrant flowers. In Japan, it is often associated with autumn and is a popular garden plant.

秋あきになると、ギンモクセイの甘あまい香かおりが庭にわに漂ただよいます。
In autumn, the sweet scent of fragrant olive drifts through the garden.

ギンモクセイはキンモクセイに似にていますが、花はなの色いろが白しろいです。

Fragrant olive resembles osmanthus, but its flowers are white.

Written forms

ギンモクセイ
kana-only spelling
Usually written in katakana; usually written in kana.
銀ぎん木もく犀せい
Kanji spelling is rare; the plant name is normally written in katakana.

Kanji

銀silver
木tree, wood
犀rhinoceros

Similar words

キンモクセイ
キンモクセイ (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus) has orange flowers, while ギンモクセイ has white flowers. Both are fragrant, but キンモクセイ is more commonly planted.

Etymology

From 銀 (gin, 'silver') + 木犀 (mokusei, 'osmanthus'), referring to the white flowers. The exact origin of the name is uncertain, but it likely contrasts with 金木犀 (kinmokusei, 'gold osmanthus').