スイカ

ス

イ

カ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

watermelon

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the fruit and the plant (Citrullus lanatus). Commonly eaten in summer in Japan.

夏なつには冷つめたいスイカが一いち番ばんだ。
In summer, cold watermelon is the best.
スイカを切きってみんなで食たべた。
We cut the watermelon and ate it together.

See all 49 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

西瓜すいかを切きるto cut a watermelon
夏なつになると母ははは大おおきな西瓜すいかを切きってくれる。
In summer, my mother cuts a big watermelon for us.
西瓜すいかの種たねを出だすto spit out watermelon seeds
子こ供どもたちは西瓜すいかの種たねを庭にわに出だして遊あそんだ。
The children spat out watermelon seeds and played in the yard.
西瓜すいかに塩しおをかけるto sprinkle salt on watermelon
西瓜すいかに塩しおをかけると甘あまさが増ます気きがする。
Sprinkling salt on watermelon seems to make it taste sweeter.
西瓜狩すいかがりに行いくto go watermelon picking
夏なつ休やすみに家か族ぞくで西瓜すいか狩がりに行いった。
We went watermelon picking with my family during summer vacation.

Kanji

西west, Spain
瓜melon
水water

Counted with

個こN5
西瓜 is counted with 個 when referring to a whole watermelon.
きりN1
For cut slices or wedges (スイカ一切り).
切きれN3
西瓜 is counted with 切れ when referring to a cut slice of watermelon.
玉たまN3
Used for whole watermelons as round, ball-shaped produce, e.g. スイカ一玉 (one whole watermelon).

Word family

種たねなしスイカ
seedless watermelon

Written forms

スイカUsage67%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is the most common written form; usually written in kana.
西瓜すいかUsage21%
Kanji form is recognized but rarely used in modern writing; the katakana spelling is strongly preferred.
すいかUsage12%
Hiragana spelling is also common and natural.
水すい瓜かUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.

Etymology

The word is likely a borrowing from Chinese 西瓜 (xīguā), meaning 'western melon'. The katakana spelling reflects its status as a common everyday word often written in kana.