レンコン

also: はすね

レ

ン

コ

ン

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

lotus root

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the edible rhizome of the lotus plant, commonly used in Japanese cuisine. Often appears in dishes like 煮物 (simmered dishes) and 天ぷら (tempura).

レンコンの天てんぷらが大だい好すきです。
I love lotus root tempura.
この煮に物ものにはレンコンが入はいっています。
This simmered dish contains lotus root.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Kanji

蓮lotus
根root, radical, head (pimple)

Don't confuse with

ハスN1
蓮 (ハス) refers to the whole lotus plant, while レンコン is specifically the edible root sold as a vegetable.

Word family

陸おか蓮れん根こん
okra

Written forms

レンコンUsage47%
search-only kana form
Katakana spelling is common in everyday use, especially in cooking contexts. It is usually written in kana.
れんこんUsage28%
Hiragana spelling is also used, though katakana is more typical for this food item.
蓮根Usage25%
- れんこん
  Kanji form is rarely used in practice; the word is almost always written in kana.
- はすね
  Alternate reading はすね is very rare and may be encountered in older or literary contexts.
はすね

Etymology

Compound of 蓮 (ren, 'lotus') + 根 (kon, 'root'). The reading れんこん is the standard Sino-Japanese reading. The alternate reading はすね uses the native Japanese reading for 蓮 (hasu) and 根 (ne), but is now rare.