麺
Meanings
1
General term for noodles, including ramen, udon, soba, and pasta. Often used in compounds like 麺類 (めんるい, noodle dishes) or ラーメン.
I ate noodles for lunch.
The noodles at this shop are firm and chewy.
2
archaic
Archaic meaning for flour. In modern Japanese, 小麦粉 (こむぎこ) or メリケン粉 are used instead. Found only in historical contexts or old texts.
In old documents, 麺 can refer to wheat flour.
Usage patterns
- 麺を茹でるto boil noodles
I boiled plenty of water in a pot and cooked the noodles.
- 麺がのびるfor noodles to go soggy/overcooked
You'd better eat quickly or the noodles will go soggy.
- 麺をすするto slurp noodles
He slurped his noodles loudly.
- 麺を打つto make noodles by hand (kneading and cutting dough)
The craftsman makes noodles by hand every morning.