高こう粱りょう

also: こうりゃん · かおりゃん

こ

う

りょ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

kaoliang; sorghum (variety used for liquor)

Refers to a type of sorghum, especially the variety used in making Chinese-style spirits (白酒). The term is often encountered in food and drink contexts.

from Chinese gāoliang

高こう粱りょう酒しゅは中ちゅう国ごくの蒸じょう留りゅう酒しゅの一いっ種しゅです。
Kaoliang liquor is a type of Chinese distilled spirit.
この地ち域いきでは高こう粱りょうを主しゅ原げん料りょうとした酒さけ造づくりが盛さかんです。
In this region, liquor-making using kaoliang as the main ingredient is thriving.

Written forms

高粱Usage63%
- こうりょう
  Standard kanji spelling for sorghum, especially the variety used in liquor.
- こうりゃん
コーリャンUsage16%
- コーリャン
  kana-only spelling
- こうりゃん
  Katakana spelling reflecting the Chinese-derived reading こうりゃん; common in food and liquor contexts.
こうりゃんUsage14%
コウリャンUsage8%
高梁
- こうりょう
  Variant kanji spelling; 梁 is a common simplification of 粱.
- こうりゃん
カオリャン
kana-only spelling
Less common katakana variant; may appear in older or specialized texts.

Kanji

高tall, high, expensive
粱high quality rice
梁weir, fish trap, beam

Similar words

モロコシ
モロコシ is the general term for sorghum as a crop, while 高粱 specifically refers to the variety used in liquor production, often with a Chinese association.

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinese 高粱 (gāoliang). The Japanese readings こうりょう and こうりゃん reflect different adaptations of the Chinese pronunciation.