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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "barley" in Japanese?
大麦
oomugi
In Japanese, "barley" is 大麦 (oomugi).
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Pronunciation
OH-moo-gee, three syllables with a long first vowel — 'oo' as in 'moon', then a soft 'gi' to close it out.
Writing and usage
大麦 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
スープには大麦がとろみをつけていた。
suupu niha oomugi gatoromiwotsuketeita.
The soup was thick with barley.
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How to remember 大麦
Oomugi starts with the same long 'oo' sound as 'ooze' — barley porridge can look a bit like that when it's cooked soft.
Related words
- toast トースト toosuto
- cereal シリアル shiriaru
- pancake パンケーキ pankeeki
- omelet オムレツ omuretsu
- broth スープ suupu
- gravy グレービー gureebii
- sauce ソース soosu
- dressing ドレッシング doresshingu
- marinade マリネ液 marine eki
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 大麦
How do you pronounce 大麦?
OH-moo-gee, three syllables with a long first vowel — 'oo' as in 'moon', then a soft 'gi' to close it out.
Is 大麦 formal or casual?
大麦 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 大麦 written in Japanese?
大麦 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as oomugi.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Barley" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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