How to Say "Corn" in Japanese

トウモロコシ

toumorokoshi

The English word corn is expressed in Japanese as トウモロコシ (toumorokoshi).

The word refers to the tall plant that produces large ears of yellow kernels used for food.

Which one should you use?

While トウモロコシ is the standard word, the katakana loanword コーン is also frequently used, especially in culinary contexts or on product packaging.

toumorokoshi

The kanji for トウモロコシ are 玉蜀黍, which literally means 'pearl millet corn', comparing the kernels to pearls.
In Japan, you will often see トウモロコシ served on a stick and grilled over charcoal with a soy sauce glaze at summer festivals.
The word コーン is also used in Japanese to describe a 'cone' shape, such as an ice cream cone, which can lead to confusion in certain contexts.

バーボンはトウモロコシから作られる。
Bourbon is made from corn.
This sentence shows how to describe the origin of bourbon using トウモロコシ.
Tatoeba #198409 by bunbuku, translation #35600 by CK
総出でトムのトウモロコシの収穫を手伝った。
We all helped Tom harvest his corn.
This sentence illustrates how to describe helping with a harvest using トウモロコシ.
Tatoeba #9840092 by MsFixer, translation #8510642 by CK
トウモロコシを植えるのに最適な時期はいつですか？
When is the best time to plant corn?
This sentence is useful for asking about the best time to plant トウモロコシ.
Tatoeba #11989003 by bunbuku, translation #9757231 by CK
最近、コーンが安くて美味しいですね。
Lately, corn has been cheap and delicious.
夏になるとモロコシがおいしくてたくさん食べます。
In summer, we eat a lot of delicious morokoshi (corn).
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

At a summer festival.

陽太 Yota

あのトウモロコシ、すごく美味しそうだね。
Ano toumorokoshi, sugoku oishisou da ne.
That corn looks really delicious.
陽葵 Himari

本当だ！陽太くん、買ってくる？
Hontou da! Youta-kun, katte kuru?
You're right! Youta, will you go buy some?
陽太 Yota

うん、二本買ってきてあげるよ。
Un, nihon katte kite ageru yo.
Yeah, I'll buy two for us.
陽葵 Himari

ありがとう、楽しみにしてるね！
Arigatou, tanoshimi ni shiteru ne!
Thanks, I'll look forward to it!

Sources

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