マルハナバチ

ま

る

は

な

ば

ち

Meanings

1

noun

bumblebee

usually written using kana alone

Refers to bumblebees of the genus Bombus. Common in everyday nature contexts.

庭にわでマルハナバチが飛とんでいる。

A bumblebee is flying in the garden.

マルハナバチは大おおきな体からだで花はなから花はなへ飛とび回まわる。

Bumblebees fly from flower to flower with their large bodies.

Kanji

丸round, full (month), perfection
花flower
蜂bee, wasp, hornet
円circle, yen, round

Related words

蜜みつ蜂ばち
ミツバチ (honeybee) is a different species, smaller and kept for honey production, while マルハナバチ is a wild bumblebee.

Word family

クロマルハナバチ
Bombus ignitus; a species of bumblebee

Built from

丸まる+ハナバチ

Written forms

マルハナバチ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is the most common practical written form; the word is usually written in kana.
丸まる花はな蜂ばち
Kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.
円まる花はな蜂ばち
Variant kanji spelling; rarely used.

Etymology

Compound of 丸 (maru, 'round') + 花 (hana, 'flower') + 蜂 (hachi, 'bee'), referring to the bee's round, fluffy appearance. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.