How do you say "corn" in Japanese?

玉蜀黍

tōmorokoshi

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "corn" is 玉蜀黍 (tōmorokoshi).

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Pronunciation

玉蜀黍 is written using kanji. Romanised as tōmorokoshi, it sounds roughly like "toh-moh-roh-koh-shee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Tōmorokoshi is three kanji: ball, sorghum, and Chinese origin marker. This older word reflects the crop's historical path into Japan through Chinese and Portuguese influences.

Example sentence

玉蜀黍が見えます。

Tōmorokoshi ga miemasu.

I can see the corn.

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How to remember 玉蜀黍

The first character 玉 means jewel or ball. Picture corn kernels as little golden jewels clustered on the cob.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 玉蜀黍

How do you pronounce 玉蜀黍?

玉蜀黍 is romanised as tōmorokoshi. Say it roughly like "toh-moh-roh-koh-shee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 玉蜀黍 formal or casual?

玉蜀黍 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 玉蜀黍 written in Japanese?

玉蜀黍 is written using kanji. Tōmorokoshi is three kanji: ball, sorghum, and Chinese origin marker.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Corn" in other languages

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