Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

飴 (あめ, ame) Japanese meaning: hard candy | Kotomora

飴あめ

あ

め

Common word›JLPTN5›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

hard candy; toffee; candy

food / cooking›

Refers to hard candies and toffees, often made from sugar or starch syrup. Common in everyday contexts.

子こ供どもの頃

ころ

、

よく

飴あめ

を

なめ

ながら

歩ある

い

た

。

As a child, I often walked while sucking on a candy.

この飴あめはミルクの味あじがする。

This candy tastes like milk.

2

rice-sugar; starch syrup

food / cooking›

Specifically refers to sugar made from rice, potatoes, or other starches. A traditional sweetener used in Japanese confectionery.

飴あめは米こめや芋いものでんぷんから作つくられる甘かん味み料りょうです。
Ame is a sweetener made from the starch of rice or potatoes.

3

amber; yellowish-brown

abbreviation

Abbreviation of 飴色 (あめいろ), referring to a warm amber or yellowish-brown color. Used in compound words or descriptive contexts.

See also: 飴色

「飴あめ色いろ」という言こと葉ばは、琥こ珀はくのような色いろを表あらわします。
The word 飴色 describes a color like amber.

Usage patterns

飴あめを舐なめるto suck on a piece of candy
子こ供どもは飴あめを舐なめながら歩あるいていた。
The child was walking while sucking on a candy.
〈人ひと〉に飴あめをあげるto give someone a piece of candy
先せん生せいは子こ供どもたちに飴あめをあげた。
The teacher gave the children some candy.

Expressions

アメとムチcarrot and stick; candy and whip

Kanji

飴rice jelly, candy

Related words

キャンディ sense 1
キャンディ is a loanword typically used for Western-style candies, while 飴 is the native term covering traditional Japanese hard candies and toffees alike.
キャラメル
飴 covers candy or sweets broadly (often hard candy), whereas キャラメル refers only to the chewy caramel type.

Opposites

ムチ
飴 represents a sweet reward used to motivate, the opposite of 鞭's harsh, pressuring form of motivation.

Don't confuse with

水みずあめ sense 2
飴 usually refers to solid hard candy, whereas 水飴 is a clear, liquid starch syrup used as a sweetener or glaze.
雨あめN5
雨 (rain) and 飴 (candy) are pronounced identically but refer to completely different things, distinguished only by context or kanji.

Counted with

個こN5
The all-purpose counter for small discrete objects, used when no more specific counter applies.
袋たい
Counts bagfuls or sackfuls.
粒つぶN2
For small grain-like items — beans, pills, drops, tears, pearls.

Word family· 29

水みずあめ
mizuame; glucose syrup; starch syrup; corn syrup
金きん太た郎ろう飴あめ
Kintarō candy; Kintarō-ame · cookie-cutter; lacking originality; uniform
飴あめ色いろ
amber; yellowish-brown
塩しお飴あめ
salty candy; salty caramel

Written forms

飴あめUsage45%
Standard kanji spelling for candy and sugar syrup.
アメUsage31%
あめUsage24%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the candy sense.

Etymology

The word あめ is native Japanese, with the kanji 飴 specifically used for candy and sugar syrup. The historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since ancient times for sweet confections.

棒ぼう飴あめ

stick candy; candy on a stick; cylindrical candy

Show 8 more

粉こな飴あめ
powdered mizuame; corn syrup solids; powdered corn syrup
綿わたあめ
cotton candy; fairy floss; candy floss
飴あめ屋や
candy shop; candy maker
飴あめ湯ゆ
malt syrup drink; sweet summer beverage
飴あめ煮に
food boiled in sugared broth
飴あめ玉だま
hard candy; candy drop
飴あめ粕かす
starch syrup residue; candy dregs
のど飴あめ
throat lozenge; cough drop

See all 29 in Explore →