米（こめ、kome）
- rice

The Japanese word 米 （こめ, kome） primarily means "uncooked rice" or "rice grain". It refers specifically to the grains of the rice plant before they have been cooked. It can also broadly refer to the rice plant itself in some contexts, or, when combined with other words, to other types of rice products. Understanding 米 is fundamental to understanding Japanese cuisine and culture as rice is a staple food in Japan. The word [米] itself, in certain contexts, can also be a measure of distance or length.

⚫︎ お米を研ぐ Translation: To wash the rice. ⚫︎ 米は日本の主食です。 Translation: Rice is the staple food in Japan. ⚫︎ 米粉でパンを作る Translation: To make bread with rice flour.

⚫︎ 米 is used in everyday conversations when referring to uncooked rice, rice cultivation, or rice-based products. ⚫︎ You'll often hear it when discussing meals, cooking, or agriculture. ⚫︎ Use it when talking about buying rice, the quality of rice, or its different varieties.

⚫︎ The kanji for 米 is [米]. ⚫︎ The hiragana reading is こめ (kome). ⚫︎ There are no common variations in okurigana. ⚫︎ It is not typically written in katakana unless for emphasis or in specific technical contexts.

⚫︎ ご飯 (ごはん, gohan): Cooked rice or a meal in general (but can also refer to the act of eating, or, in a specific situation, a meal with rice.) ⚫︎ 白米 (はくまい, hakumai): White rice (polished rice). ⚫︎ 玄米 (げんまい, genmai): Brown rice (unpolished rice).

⚫︎ While there isn't a direct antonym, words like 麦 (むぎ, mugi - wheat) or other grains can be considered opposites in terms of being alternative staple foods.

毎朝、[米]を洗って炊飯器に入れます。 ・Translation: Every morning, I wash the rice and put it in the rice cooker. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the daily routine of preparing rice for cooking.

日本のお酒は[米]から作られています。 ・Translation: Japanese sake is made from rice. ・Explanation: This sentence explains the origin of sake, emphasizing the role of [米].

The kanji 米 is a pictograph of a rice plant. The top part represents the rice head, and the bottom part represents the roots and stalks. The word [米] has been used in Japanese for centuries, and its meaning has remained consistent with its visual representation of rice.