What does “momo” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “momo” to mean ‘peach’ in Japanese. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji character. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “momo” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “momo”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “momo”.
- momo – 桃 (もも) : a noun meaning ‘peach’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a peach or peaches in Japanese. So, its usage is very simple.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji character in detail.
Momo in kanji
The kanji character of “momo” consists of the following two parts:
- 木 : a kanji character used to mean a tree or trees. This is also widely used in Japanese words related to plants.
- 兆 : a kanji character used to mean a sign, indication, or omen.
From these two kanji parts, we can understand that “momo” literally means a ‘tree and sign’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not in line with the meaning, but represents well its history. In the past, peach seeds were used for fortune-telling. In some regions in the world, people are still doing this kind of fortune-telling, I think. If a seed is cracked into two beautiful pieces, something good will happen. So, peaches are somehow related to signs of what will happen in the future. The kanji character is, therefore, still reasonable.
When we meet new kanji characters, we should check their parts in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji parts tell us a lot about meanings of characters they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “momo” through the detailed check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “momo” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “peaches” in Japanese
boku wa momo to ringo ga suki desu – 僕は桃とりんごが好きです (ぼくはももとりんごがすきです)
I like peaches and apples.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is mainly used by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this work after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- to – と : a case particle used to join two similar nouns or phrases to make a parallel expression. This is often translated into English as “and”. In the example, this is used to join “momo” and “ringo”.
- ringo – りんご : a noun meaning ‘apple’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- 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 “momo to ringo” to make the object in the sentence.
- suki – 好き (すき) : one conjugation 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, actually, this is used to mean ‘to like’.
- 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 “momo”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “momo to ringo”, which means ‘peaches and apples’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “momo”
tokidoki omise de momo wo kai masu – 時々お店で桃を買います (ときどきおみせでももをかいます)
Sometimes I buy peaches at the store.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
- omise – お店 (おみせ) : the polite expression of ‘mise’ which means ‘shop’, ‘store’, or such in Japanese. “O” is a prefix making its following word polite.
- de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “omise” to say where the speaker buys peaches.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “momo” to make the object in the sentence.
- kai – 買い (かい) : one conjugation of the verb, “kau”, which means ‘to buy’, ‘to purchase’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form. In the example, this is used after “kai” to make it sound polite.
This is another typical usage of “momo”. Again, it works as the object in the sentence to mean ‘peaches’. When we want to say “peach” or “peaches” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “momo” in detail based on its kanji character. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- momo – 桃 (もも) : a noun meaning ‘peach’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. The two kanji parts literally mean a ‘tree and sign’. This literal interpretation is not in line with the meaning, but represents well the history. In the past, peach seeds were used for fortune-telling. In some regions in the world, people are still doing this kind of fortune-telling, I think. If a seed is cracked into two beautiful pieces, something good will happen. So, peaches are somehow related to signs of what will happen in the future. The kanji character is, therefore, still reasonable.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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