苹果ひょうか

also: へいか · りんご

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

rare term

Rare term; the common Japanese word for apple is りんご, normally written in kana. 苹果 is a literary or stylistic kanji spelling, occasionally used in product names or poetic contexts.

Kanji

苹duckweed, mugwort
果fruit, reward, carry out

Related words

りんご
The standard, everyday word for apple, usually written in kana. 苹果 is a rare kanji spelling for the same fruit.

Written forms

苹果
- へいか
  Rare kanji spelling for 'apple'; the reading へいか is the standard on'yomi for these characters. The common word is りんご, usually written in kana.
- ひょうか
  Alternate on'yomi reading; even rarer than へいか.
- りんご
  gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
  Gikun/jukujikun reading; the kanji 苹果 are sometimes read as りんご in literary or stylistic contexts, but this is not the standard spelling.
へいか
りんご
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun

Etymology

The kanji 苹果 are Chinese characters for 'apple'. In Japanese, they are read with on'yomi (へいか, ひょうか) or the jukujikun reading りんご. The word itself is native Japanese, but this kanji spelling is rare and largely replaced by kana りんご.