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道Nihongo Path
餅

餅·rice cake

On-yomi
ヘイ
Kun-yomi
もち

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

15 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
餅もちrice cake, mochi
煎餅せんべいrice cracker
餅つきもちつきpounding rice cakes
尻餅しりもちfalling on one's backside

Example sentences

  1. 正月に家族で餅をついた。

    しょうがつにかぞくでもちをついた。

    We pounded rice cakes as a family at New Year.

  2. お茶と一緒に煎餅を食べた。

    おちゃといっしょにせんべいをたべた。

    I ate rice crackers with my tea.

  3. 凍った道で転んで尻餅をついた。

    こおったみちでころんでしりもちをついた。

    I slipped on the icy road and landed on my backside.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 煎餅 as せんもち — the fixed reading is せんべい
  • 餅 as a word is almost always もち; ヘイ appears only in compounds like 煎餅

Memory aid

Picture it

The food radical 飠 on the left plus 并 'put side by side' — grains pounded and pressed together into one cake.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 餅 mean?