ういろう

う

い

ろ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

sweet rice jelly; uirō

usually written using kana alonefood / cooking

A traditional Japanese confection made from rice flour and sugar, often flavored with matcha or red bean. Steamed and jelly-like in texture.

名な古ご屋や名めい物ぶつのういろうをお土産みやげに買かった。
I bought some uirō, a Nagoya specialty, as a souvenir.
ういろうはもちもちした食しょっ感かんが特とく徴ちょうです。
Uirō is characterized by its chewy texture.

noun

Edo-period herbal medicine; antitussive and breath freshener

historical termusually written using kana alone

Only with reading ういろう

Historical term; originally a medicine imported from China, later produced in Japan. Used for coughs and as a breath freshener. The sweet is said to have been named after this medicine due to a resemblance in shape or color.

江え戸ど時じ代だい、ういろうは咳せき止どめや口こう臭しゅう消けしとして用もちいられた。
In the Edo period, uirō was used as a cough medicine and breath freshener.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Kanji

外outside
郎son, counter for sons
良good, pleasing, skilled

Related words

羊よう羹かん
Yōkan is a similar Japanese sweet made from red bean paste, agar, and sugar, but it is firmer and denser than uirō.
求肥ぎゅうひ
Gyūhi is a softer, mochi-like confection made from glutinous rice flour and sugar, often used as a wrapping for other sweets, while uirō is steamed and has a firmer, jelly-like texture.

Written forms

ういろうUsage64%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 外郎 and 外良 are rare and mainly historical.
外郎Usage36%
- ういろう
  Rare kanji form; historically associated with the medicine and the sweet, but now almost always written in kana.
- ういろ
外良
rarely-used kanji form
- ういろう
  Very rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
- ういろ
ういろ

Etymology

The name is said to derive from a Chinese medicine called 'uirō' brought to Japan by a Chinese physician in the 14th century. The sweet was later named after the medicine due to a perceived similarity in appearance. The kanji 外郎 is a phonetic borrowing (ateji) for the Chinese name.