蕾（つぼみ、tsubomi）
- bud (flower)
Romaji:
Japanese:
Kana:
TSUBOMI
蕾
つぼみ
蕾 (つぼみ, romaji: tsubomi) means "bud (flower)" in Japanese. It is a N2 High-level Noun word.
| Meaning: | bud (flower) |
| Level: | N2 High |
| Lexical Category: | Noun (名詞) |
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AI Explanation
The Japanese word 蕾 (つぼみ) refers to a flower bud. It's the part of a plant that hasn't bloomed yet, holding the developing petals, sepals, and reproductive structures. It represents the potential for growth and the anticipation of beauty. 蕾 can also be used metaphorically to describe something in its early stages of development or something that is yet to fully blossom.
⚫︎桜の蕾 Translation: Cherry blossom bud ⚫︎新しいプロジェクトがまだ蕾の状態だ Translation: The new project is still in the bud.
You can use 蕾 in conversations when discussing flowers, plants, or anything that is in its early stages of development. It’s suitable for describing physical states as well as abstract concepts. It's a common and natural word in Japanese.
The word 蕾 is typically written in kanji 蕾, and its reading is つぼみ in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (hiragana suffix) is always included, as shown in つぼみ.
There aren't many direct synonyms for 蕾 in the sense of a flower bud. However, words that describe the early stages of something might be considered related, such as: ⚫︎芽 (me) - bud, sprout ⚫︎始まり (hajimari) - beginning, start ⚫︎初期 (shoki) - early stage
The direct antonym of 蕾 depends on the context, but some possibilities include: ⚫︎花 (hana) - flower (when referring to the blossomed flower) ⚫︎開花 (kaika) - blooming, flowering (as a verb) ⚫︎成熟 (seijuku) - maturity
春になると、庭のバラの蕾がふくらみ始める。 ・Translation: When spring comes, the rose buds in the garden begin to swell. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the physical process of a rose bud developing during spring.
彼女の才能はまだ蕾だが、将来が楽しみだ。 ・Translation: Her talent is still in the bud, but I look forward to the future. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 蕾 metaphorically to describe someone’s potential that hasn’t fully developed yet.
The etymology of 蕾 is not precisely known. It is considered a native Japanese word (yamato kotoba). The kanji 蕾 is a *kokuji* (国字), a character created in Japan, reflecting the importance of the concept of flower buds in Japanese culture.