ツクバネアサガオ

つ

く

ば

ね

あ

さ

が

お

Meanings

1

noun

petunia

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the flowering plant genus Petunia, commonly grown as an ornamental.

Kanji

衝collide, brunt, highway
羽feathers, counter for birds, rabbits
根root, radical, head (pimple)
朝morning, dynasty, regime
顔face, expression

Related words

ペチュニア
ペチュニア is the direct loanword from English, while ツクバネアサガオ is the native Japanese name. Both refer to the same plant, but ペチュニア is more common in everyday conversation.

Built from

ツクバネ+朝あさ顔がお

Written forms

ツクバネアサガオ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for plant names; usually written in kana.
衝つく羽ば根ね朝あさ顔がお
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in botanical contexts; learners should use kana.

Etymology

The name ツクバネアサガオ literally means 'shuttlecock morning glory', from 衝羽根 (つくばね, shuttlecock) and 朝顔 (あさがお, morning glory), referring to the shape of the flower. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.