マルメロ
marumero[ma̠ɾɯ̟me̞ɾo̞]
The Japanese word for quince is マルメロ (marumero).
マルメロ refers to the quince fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Which one should you use?
While マルメロ is the standard term, the word 榲桲 can also be used to refer to the quince.
How do you pronounce it?
marumero
Did you know?
- The word マルメロ is a linguistic traveler that arrived in Japan via Portuguese traders, rather than through traditional Chinese characters or native Japanese roots.
- While マルメロ is written in katakana for the fruit, the kanji 榲桲 are rare and seldom seen outside of botanical texts.
- In Japan, マルメロ is most frequently encountered as a processed jam or jelly rather than as a fresh fruit.
Examples in context
- 私はカリンの香りが大好きです。I love the fragrance of quince.
- マルメロはとても珍しい果物です。marumero wa totemo mezurashii kudamono desu.Quince is a very rare fruit.
- このマルメロは甘い香りがします。kono marumero wa amai kaori ga shimasu.This quince has a sweet scent.
- マルメロを使ってジャムを作りました。marumero o tsukatte jamu o tsukurimashita.I made jam using quince.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Hiroto are looking at fruit in a supermarket.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔くん、このマルメロを見て。Hiroto-kun, kono marumero o mite.Hiroto, look at this quince.
- 大翔 Hirotoおいしそうだけど、どうやって食べるの？Oishisou dakedo, dou yatte taberu no?It looks delicious, but how do you eat it?
- 陽葵 Himari料理に使ったり、ジャムにしたりするよ。Ryouri ni tsukattari, jamu ni shitari suru yo.You use it in cooking or make it into jam.
- 大翔 Hirotoなるほど。一つ買ってみようか。Naruhodo. Hitotsu kattemiyou ka.I see. Shall we try buying one?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quince” translations and entries マルメロ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries マルメロ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
