Japanese kanji 麦: wheat, barley and grain words

The idea

麦 has 7 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. On its own it is read むぎ and can refer broadly to wheat or barley. 小麦（こむぎ） means wheat, 大麦（おおむぎ） barley, and 麦茶（むぎちゃ） barley tea.

Examples

• 畑はたけで小麦こむぎが育そだっています。Wheat is growing in the field.
• このパンは小麦こむぎから作つくられています。This bread is made from wheat.
• 冷つめたい麦茶むぎちゃを飲のみました。I drank cold barley tea.
• この地域ちいきでは大麦おおむぎを栽培さいばいしています。Barley is grown in this region.
• この小麦粉こむぎこは小麦こむぎから作つくられています。This flour is made from wheat.
• 夏なつはよく麦茶むぎちゃを飲のみます。In summer, I often drink barley tea.

Watch out

麦 alone does not always mean wheat specifically. Use 小麦 for wheat and 大麦 for barley; 小麦粉 is wheat flour, not the grain itself.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 小麦 in hiragana.

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   こむぎ

   小麦 is こむぎ: 小 plus 麦 names wheat. The bread example uses it as an ingredient.

2. Write the reading of 麦茶 in hiragana.

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   むぎちゃ

   麦茶 is むぎちゃ: 麦 plus 茶 names barley tea. The example describes a cold drink.

3. Choose the missing kanji: 大＿（おおむぎ）［麦／米］.

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   麦

   麦 completes 大麦（おおむぎ）, barley. 米 means rice and does not form this word.

Use it today

Write 麦 using the stroke-order diagram. Cover the table, read 小麦 and 麦茶 aloud, then make a sentence with one of them.