Himawari is the Japanese word for ‘sunflower’, explained

What does “himawari” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers use himawari to mean a ‘sunflower’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand himawari more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “himawari”
• Himawari in kanji
  • How to say “sunflowers” in Japanese
  • Another example of “himawari”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “himawari”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of himawari.

• himawari – 向日葵 (ひまわり) : a noun meaning a ‘sunflower’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

Himawari in kanji

The kanji expression of himawari consists of the following three kanji characters:

• 向 : a kanji character used to mean a ‘direction’ in Japanese.
• 日 : a kanji character used to mean ‘the sun’, ‘sunlight’, ‘day’, or such in Japanese.
• 葵 : a kanji character used to mean a ‘hollyhock’ in Japanese.

From these three kanji characters, we can understand that the formed noun literally means ‘hollyhocks in the direction to the sun’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Sunflowers are tall like hollyhocks and often rotate towards the sun.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of himawari through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of himawari together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

How to say “sunflowers” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after kanojo to make the subject in the sentence.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after himawari to make the object in the sentence.
• totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works in front of suki to emphasize its meaning.
• suki – 好き (すき) : the stem part of the na-adjective, sukina, which means ‘favorite’ in Japanese. Native speakers, however, often use this as an individual word to mean ‘to like’ or ‘to love’ in Japanese. In the example, this is used to mean ‘to love’ in Japanese.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after suki to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of himawari. In this example, it works together with the case particle, ga, to become the object in the sentence.

Another example of “himawari”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• utsukushii – 美しい (うつくしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘beautiful’ in Japanese.
• kiiroi – 黄色い (きいろい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘yellow’ in Japanese.
• hana – 花 (はな) : a noun meaning a ‘flower’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

This is another example of himawari. In this example, it works together with the binding particle, wa, to become the subject in the sentence. When we want to mean ‘sunflowers’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of himawari in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• himawari – 向日葵 (ひまわり) : a noun meaning a ‘sunflower’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These three kanji characters literally mean ‘hollyhocks in the direction to the sun’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Sunflowers are tall like hollyhocks and often rotate towards the sun.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.