綿 means “cotton”

わた · wata

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

わた

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

メン

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 5 · 14 strokes

The story

Thread (糸) beside white (白) cloth (巾): soft cotton. 綿 is cotton, 綿あめ the cotton candy of summer festivals, and 木綿 is cotton cloth, which names 木綿豆腐, the firm tofu pressed in cloth-lined boxes.

Used in 木綿 (momen, cotton cloth), 綿棒 (menbou, cotton swab), and 綿あめ (wataame, cotton candy)

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.