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木綿 (もめん, momen) Japanese meaning: cotton (material) | Kotomora

木綿もめん

also: きわた

も

め

ん

Common word›JLPTN4›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

cotton (material)

Refers to cotton as a fabric or material, not the plant itself.

このシャツは木綿もめんでできている。

This shirt is made of cotton.

木綿もめんのハンカチを買かった。

I bought a cotton handkerchief.

2

red silk-cotton tree (Bombax ceiba)

usually written using kana alone

Only with reading きわた

A tree species; usually written in kana as きわた. The reading もめん is not used for this sense.

See also: パンヤの木

きわたの花はなは赤あかくて大おおきい。
The flowers of the red silk-cotton tree are red and large.

Usage patterns

木も綿めんの〈物もの〉a cotton ~ (item made of cotton fabric)
夏なつは木綿もめんのシャツが涼すずしくて気き持もちいい。
In summer, a cotton shirt feels cool and comfortable.
木も綿めんを織おるto weave cotton (into cloth)
祖そ母ぼは今いまでも手てで木綿もめんを織おっている。
My grandmother still weaves cotton by hand.

Kanji

木tree, wood
綿cotton
棉cotton

Related words

綿わたN2sense 1
綿 refers to raw cotton fiber or cotton wool, while 木綿 specifically means the woven cotton fabric made from it.
コットンN1sense 1
コットン is the modern loanword often used in fashion and product labels, while 木綿 is the traditional Japanese term for the same cotton fabric.
綿めんN3
木綿 refers specifically to woven cotton cloth, whereas 綿 can mean the raw fiber, the plant, or the fabric.
綿めん布ぷ
木綿 is the everyday word for cotton cloth used in clothing and household items, while 綿布 is a more formal or technical term for the same woven material.

Opposites

絹きぬN4sense 1
絹 (silk) is a smooth, luxurious fabric from silkworms, contrasting with the plain, everyday fabric 木綿 (cotton).

Don't confuse with

パンヤの木き sense 2
パンヤの木 and 木綿 (read きわた in this sense) both refer to silk-cotton-type trees, but they are different species despite the overlapping name.

Counted with

本ほんN5sense 2
本 is used to count 木綿 (きわた) trees, as it is the standard counter for long, trunked plants.
締しめ
Trade counter for standardized bundles of nori or cloth.

Word family· 9

木綿もめん物もの
cotton goods; cotton clothing
木綿もめん糸いと
cotton thread
木綿もめん綿わた
cotton batting; cotton wadding; cotton padding
木綿もめん針ばり
cotton sewing needle

Written forms

木綿Usage91%
- もめん
  Standard kanji spelling for cotton material.
- きわた
もめんUsage9%

Etymology

木綿 is a compound of 木 (tree) and 綿 (cotton), originally referring to cotton produced from a tree-like plant. The reading もめん is a sound shift from 木綿 (もくめん). The reading きわた for the tree sense is a native Japanese reading of the same characters.

生き木綿もめん

unbleached cotton cloth

Show 4 more

南なん京きん木も綿めん
nankeen; Nanjing cotton
天てん竺じく木綿もめん
cotton sheeting; Indian cotton fabric
晒さらし木綿もめん
bleached cotton cloth
木綿もめん豆どう腐ふ
firm tofu; cotton tofu

木棉

もめん
Rarely used kanji form for cotton.
きわた
rarely-used kanji form

きわた

Kana spelling for the red silk-cotton tree; usually written in kana.