アニス
anisu[a̠ɲ̟isɨ]
The English word "anise" is translated into Japanese as アニス (anisu).
The word refers to the plant known as anise.
Meaning: plant (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is anisu.
Did you know?
- While アニス is the phonetic translation, many Japanese cooks will actually call for 八角 (hakkaku) when a recipe requires star anise. The word 八角 literally means 'eight corners', referring to the shape of the spice.
- The word 八角 is used for star anise, but it is also a common word for 'octagon' in Japanese geometry.
- In Japanese botanical texts, you might encounter the term 茴香 (uikyou) to describe plants in the anise family. This is a 'kango' word, which uses Chinese-derived readings rather than the phonetic 'anisu'.
Examples in context
- アニスは独特の香りがします。Anisu wa dokutoku no kaori ga shimasu.Anise has a unique scent.
- 庭にアニスを植えました。Niwa ni anisu o uemashita.I planted anise in the garden.
- アニスの形は星に似ています。Anisu no katachi wa hoshi ni nite imasu.The shape of anise resembles a star.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a botanical book in a cafe.
- 蓮 Renこの植物はアニスかな？Kono shokubutsu wa anisu kana?Is this plant anise?
- 結衣 Yuiそう、アニスだよ。とても綺麗だね。Sou, anisu da yo. Totemo kirei da ne.Yes, it's anise. It's very beautiful.
- 蓮 Ren結衣はアニスの香りが好き？Yui wa anisu no kaori ga suki?Yui, do you like the scent of anise?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、大好きだよ。Un, daisuki da yo.Yes, I love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anise” translations and entries アニス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
