How to Say "Red Bean" in Japanese

小豆

azuki

The English phrase "red bean" is 小豆 (azuki) in Japanese.

The term is most commonly used to refer to the specific variety of bean used in traditional Japanese sweets.

How do you pronounce it?

azuki

In Japanese folklore, red beans are believed to ward off evil spirits and illness, which is why they are often used in traditional charms and celebratory foods.
The pronunciation of 小豆 is quite a puzzle, as the characters for 'small' and 'bean' are read as azuki instead of following their individual readings. This is a linguistic phenomenon known as jukujikun, where the word's reading is assigned to the characters based on meaning rather than sound.
The word azuki might not be originally Japanese, as it is nearly identical to the Ainu word antuki. Historians are still debating whether the Japanese language borrowed the term from the Ainu people or if the two languages shared a common source.

小豆のパフェを食べました。
azuki no pafe o tabemashita.
I ate an adzuki bean parfait.
このお菓子には小豆が入っています。
kono okashi ni wa azuki ga haitte imasu.
This sweet contains red beans.
小豆を煮るのが上手ですね。
azuki o niru no ga jouzu desu ne.
You are good at simmering red beans.

Yota and Yui are at a traditional cafe.

陽太 Yota

結衣、何を注文する？
Yui, nani o chumon suru?
Yui, what are you going to order?
結衣 Yui

私は小豆のぜんざいにするわ。
Watashi wa azuki no zenzai ni suru wa.
I'll have the red bean soup.
陽太 Yota

いいな。僕もそれにしよう。
Ii na. Boku mo sore ni shiyou.
That sounds good. I'll have that too.
結衣 Yui

じゃあ、一緒に頼もうね。
Jaa, issho ni tanomou ne.
Then, let's order together.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏