芽
[ɡa̠]
To sprout in Japanese is 芽.
The word 芽 is used to express the concept of growing or germinating. To describe the physical act of a sprout emerging from a seed or a plant, it is common to use the idiom 芽が出る.
Meaning: to grow, to germinate (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 芽 refers generally to a sprout or a bud, もやし is used specifically to refer to the edible bean sprouts that are commonly used in cooking. Additionally, when you want to describe the phenomenon of new growth or the season of budding, you can use the nouns 芽立ち or 芽吹き.
Related words
Did you know?
- The word もやし is sometimes used as a slang term to describe a person who is very thin, pale and physically weak.
- The phrase 芽を摘む (me o tsumu), meaning 'to pluck the bud', is a common idiom used to describe someone intentionally ruining another person's hopes or even interfering in a budding romance.
- The phrase 芽が出る, meaning 'to sprout', is used metaphorically to describe a person who finally begins to see success or recognition in their career or studies.
Examples in context
- やっと芽が出ました。Yatto me ga demashita.The sprout finally came out.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a flower pot together.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、見て！やっと芽が出たよ。Yui, mite! Yatto me ga deta yo.Yui, look! It finally sprouted.
- 結衣 Yui本当だ！小さくてかわいいね。Hontō da! Chiisakute kawaii ne.You're right! It's so small and cute.
- 蓮 Ren毎日水をあげてよかった。Mainichi mizu o agete yokatta.I'm glad I watered it every day.
- 結衣 Yui蓮のおかげだね。Ren no okage da ne.It's thanks to you, Ren.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 芽, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
