粉

• Reading: こな
• Romaji: kona
• Kanji breakdown: 粉 (ko/kona/fun) — flour, powder
• Pronunciation: /ko.na/

Meaning

Flour; powder. Fine particles of a ground or processed substance.

A noun with broad usage covering any powdery substance. In cooking contexts, it often means flour (小麦粉 = wheat flour). Also used for other powders: 粉ミルク (powdered milk), 粉末 (powder/fine particles), 粉チーズ (grated cheese). Can also be read as こ in some compounds.

Examples

1. パンを作るために小麦粉を買ってきた。 I bought wheat flour to make bread.
2. 薬を粉にして飲みやすくした。 I ground the medicine into powder to make it easier to take.
3. テーブルに粉がこぼれてしまった。 I spilled powder all over the table.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, daily life, medicine

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 粉 combines 米 (rice) and 分 (divide, separate). Originally referred to rice ground into fine particles, later generalized to mean any powdered substance.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal