芽

音読おんよみ:

訓読くんよみ:

画数かくすう: 8 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 艹(くさかんむり)

Meaning

Bud, sprout, or germ. A symbol of life beginning to grow.


  • — bud, sprout
  • 発芽はつが — germination
  • 新芽しんめ — new sprout
  • 豆芽とうが — bean sprout
  • 芽生めばえる — to sprout, to bud

The top part is the grass radical (艹), indicating plants. The lower part is 牙 (fang), providing the sound. This kanji combines the ideas of “plant” and “emerging force,” giving us the concept of a growing bud or sprout.

はるには しんてきます。
In spring, new buds appear.

かれには 才能さいのうがある。
He shows signs of talent.

The kun-yomi め is more common in daily life (like in 芽が出る). The on-yomi ガ appears in compound words like 発芽 and 新芽.

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