米 means “rice”

こめ · kome

Also: USA, metre

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): こめ, よね
On'yomi (Chinese reading): ベイ, マイ, メエトル

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 2 · 6 strokes

The story

Golden fields of rice stretch across Japanese countryside, each grain precious as a prayer answered.

Fundamental to Japanese culture; also a radical in many other kanji

Where it comes from

Pictographic (象形文字): Grains of rice scattered on a drying rack.

The ancient form showed rice grains scattered on a drying rack or around a central rice plant. The modern character has a central cross (the stalk or rack) with four dots (the grains) spreading in each direction, like rice laid out to dry in the sun.

To remember it: A cross (+) with four grains scattered around it: rice drying in the sun.

Its parts

米 Rice · Entire character

Grains of rice scattered in four directions from a central stalk

Example sentences

米は日本の主食です。 Rice is the staple food of Japan.
お米を買いに行きます。 I'm going to buy rice.

Kanji that look like 米

来 (come / next): 来 adds horizontal strokes; rice (米) is the simpler cross shape

More from Food & Dining

Learn 米 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji