ぶどう

• Reading: ぶどう
• Romaji: budou
• Kanji breakdown: 葡 (bu) — grape; 萄 (dou) — grape
• Pronunciation: /bɯ.doː/

Meaning

Grapes. A popular fruit eaten fresh, dried as raisins, or used to make wine and juice.

Can be written in kanji as 葡萄 but is almost always written in hiragana. Japan is famous for its premium grape varieties, especially 巨峰 (kyohou) and シャインマスカット (Shine Muscat), which can be quite expensive. ぶどう酒 is an older word for wine, though ワイン is more common today.

Examples

1. 秋になるとぶどうがおいしくなります。 When fall comes, grapes become delicious.
2. スーパーでぶどうを一房買いました。 I bought a bunch of grapes at the supermarket.
3. 山梨県はぶどうの産地で有名です。 Yamanashi Prefecture is famous as a grape-growing region.

Usage Guide

Context: food, fruit, shopping

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Chinese 葡萄 (pútáo), which itself was borrowed from an ancient Central Asian language. Grapes were introduced to Japan via China along the Silk Road.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal