果物

• Reading: くだもの
• Romaji: kudamono
• Kanji breakdown: 果 (ka/kuda) — fruit, result; 物 (butsu/mono) — thing, object
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.da.mo.no/

Meaning

Fruit. Refers to edible fruits in general.

A general term for all types of fruit. Fruit in Japan is often expensive and considered a luxury gift item. Popular Japanese fruits include みかん (mandarin oranges), りんご (apples), and いちご (strawberries). Fruit is commonly eaten as dessert rather than as a snack.

Examples

1. 果物の中でりんごが一番好きです。 Out of all fruits, I like apples the best.
2. 毎朝果物を食べます。 I eat fruit every morning.
3. この果物はとても甘いです。 This fruit is very sweet.

Usage Guide

Context: food, shopping, health

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 果 (ka, 'fruit/result') and 物 (mono, 'thing'). Literally 'fruit things.' An older reading くだもの preserves native Japanese phonetics rather than Sino-Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal