ハチミツ
hachimitsu
The Japanese word for honey is ハチミツ (hachimitsu).
ハチミツ refers to the sweet substance produced by bees.
Meaning: sweet substance produced by bees (noun)
Which one should you use?
While the word can be written using the kanji 蜂蜜, it is very commonly written in katakana as ハチミツ.
How do you pronounce it?
hachimitsu
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, ハチミツ is never used as a romantic term of endearment for a partner or child.
- When describing the texture of honey, Japanese speakers often use the onomatopoeic word トロトロ (torotoro) to capture that specific thick, melting sensation.
- In some Japanese contexts, the term 蜜 (mitsu), which means 'nectar' or 'honey', is used to describe the 'sweet spot' or the peak of a fruit's ripeness.
Examples in context
- このハチミツ、めっちゃ濃厚。This honey is very thick.This sentence is useful for describing the thickness of the ハチミツ.Tatoeba #11512665 by small_snow, translation #9312564 by Nylez
- 彼は砂糖の代わりにハチミツを使う。He uses honey instead of sugar.This sentence shows how someone uses ハチミツ as a substitute for sugar.Tatoeba #107003 by small_snow, translation #296683 by CH
- トムは、砂糖のかわりにハチミツを紅茶にいれます。Tom puts honey in his tea instead of sugar.This sentence illustrates putting ハチミツ into tea instead of sugar.Tatoeba #3386457 by huizi99, translation #3385292 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are having breakfast together.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮、このハチミツどこで買ったの？Ren, kono hachimitsu doko de katta no?Ren, where did you buy this honey?
- 蓮 Ren近くのスーパーだよ。Chikaku no sūpā da yo.At a nearby supermarket.
- 美咲 Misakiすごく美味しいね！Sugoku oishii ne!It's really delicious!
- 蓮 Renよかった。美咲が気に入って嬉しいよ。Yokatta. Misaki ga kiniitte ureshii yo.I'm glad. I'm happy you like it, Misaki.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
