Don't confuse with 梅 is the Japanese apricot mainly used for pickling into umeboshi, while すもも is the Japanese plum, a different fruit usually eaten fresh, and the two are often confused by learners.
プラム is the general loanword for Western plums, which are larger and sweeter, while すもも refers specifically to the smaller, tarter Japanese plum.
桃 (もも ) and すもも sound similar and are both stone fruits, but すもも is the Japanese plum, a different and much smaller fruit.
Counted with The all-purpose counter for small discrete objects, used when no more specific counter applies.
For small grain-like items — beans, pills, drops, tears, pearls.
Word family prune; dried plum
blackthorn; sloe
common European plum
Written forms すもも Usage 65%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
スモモ Usage 28%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used in botanical or commercial contexts.
李すもも Usage 7%
Kanji form is rarely used; the word is usually written in kana.
酢す 桃もも
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
酸す 桃もも
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
Etymology The word すもも is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 李 is a Chinese character for plum, but its use for すもも is conventional rather than etymologically transparent. The exact derivation of the reading is uncertain.
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
