ポピー
popī[po̞pʲiː]
The English word poppy can be translated into Japanese as ポピー (popī) or 芥子.
Meaning: plant of the genus Papaver (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ポピー | popī | [po̞pʲiː] (narrow) |
| 芥子 | keshi | [ka̠ɾa̠ɕi] (narrow) [ka̠iɕi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, you can use either ポピー or 芥子 to refer to the plant of the genus Papaver.
Which one should you use?
The katakana form ポピー is more common when referring to the ornamental flower used in a garden or for decorative purposes. In contrast, the kanji form 芥子 is used when referring to the plant or its seeds in a botanical or culinary context.
How do you pronounce it?
popī
Did you know?
- The kanji for poppy, 芥子, shares a linguistic history with the word 'sushi' because both evolved from adjectives describing a sharp taste, such as 'sour' or 'spicy'.
- While ポピー refers to the garden flower, the kanji 芥子 is also used to describe something that is extremely tiny or minute, much like the poppy seed itself.
Examples in context
- うちのわんこ「ポピー」って言うんだ。Our dog is called "Poppy".This sentence shows how ポピー can be used as a proper name for a pet.Tatoeba #10144944 by small_snow, translation #10144957 by tsp_2
- 庭に赤いポピーが咲いています。Niwa ni akai popii ga saite imasu.Red poppies are blooming in the garden.
- あのポピーはとても綺麗ですね。Ano popii wa totemo kirei desu ne.That poppy is very beautiful, isn't it?
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at flowers in a park.
- 蓮 Ren見て、あそこにポピーがあるよ。mite, asoko ni popī ga aru yo.Look, there are poppies over there.
- 陽葵 Himariわあ、すごくきれいな色だね。waa, sugoku kireina iro da ne.Wow, they are such a beautiful color.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵はポピーが好きだよね。Himari wa popī ga suki da yo ne.You like poppies, don't you, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、この花が一番好き。un, kono hana ga ichiban suki.Yes, this flower is my favorite.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poppy” translations and entries ポピー, 芥子, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ポピー, 芥子, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
