Related words アメリカ is the everyday, spoken word for the United States, while 米 is a written abbreviation used mainly in compounds and headlines.
米 is the modern abbreviation for America used in compounds like 米国 , while 亜 (from 亜米利加 ) is the obsolete abbreviation for the same meaning.
Don't confuse with 米 read べい means 'America' (as in 米国 ), while the same kanji read こめ means 'rice'; only context or okurigana/compounds tells them apart.
伊 abbreviates Italy while 米 abbreviates America (the United States); both are single-kanji country abbreviations used in compounds like 日伊 and 日米 .
Word family· 64 United States of America; USA; US
Europe and the United States; the West
all of America; pan-American; nationwide (US)
North America
South America
Show 24 more Show fewer US dollar; USD
American soldier; US serviceman; US servicewoman
going to the United States; visiting the US
anti-American
visit to the United States; US visit
square meter
pro-American
staying in the U.S.; residing in the U.S.; based in the U.S.
cooked rice
rice-based diet; rice-centered diet
rice; grain
88th birthday; celebration of one's 88th year
stationed in the US; resident in the US
rice price; price of rice
pro-American
toward the US; with the US; US-related
returning to the United States · kibei; Japanese-American nisei sent to Japan for education before returning to the US
dispatching to the US; sending to the US
staying in the United States
arrival in the United States
cubic meter
the United States and the Soviet Union; American-Soviet
rice crop; rice production
American side; American position; American delegation
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Etymology Abbreviation from the first character of the ateji spelling 亜米利加 (アメリカ ). The character 米 was chosen for its sound rather than its meaning ('rice').
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