Fruits in Japanese: Kudamono [果物] and the Fruit Names

The kanji 果物 looks like it should be read kajitsu. Plenty of learners guess that — then wonder why nobody says it at the fruit stand. In ordinary Japanese the word is kudamono.

Some fruits have been cultivated in Japan for many centuries, and they received an original name in Kanji or Hiragana. Others, which were brought from other countries, gained their names based on the original name using Katakana.

If you have a bit of knowledge in English or other languages, you will notice that some names are derived from English, such as Orenji (orange) and Banana (banana). That katakana spelling is often the first hint that the fruit arrived later.

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How to say fruit in Japanese?

Kudamono [果物] is the main Japanese word for referring to fruits. You hear it in shops, at market stalls, and in ordinary sentences. The characters look like ka + mono, but the usual reading is a jukujikun: kudamono, something like “thing from the tree.” A rare on-reading kabutsu exists; it barely shows up in conversation.

Other ways to say fruit in Japanese are:

1. 果物 (kudamono) — this is the most common word in Japanese to refer to fruits in general. It is composed of the characters 果 (ka), which means “fruit,” and 物 (mono), which means “thing.” The spoken reading is kudamono, not kajitsu.
2. フルーツ (furūtsu) — this is a katakana word from English fruit. It shows up on dessert menus, in product names, and on signs for cut fruit. It does not replace ringo or nashi. Apple and Japanese pear keep their own words.
3. 果実 (kajitsu) — this word means “fruit” in a more scientific or botanical sense, referring to the part of the plant that holds the seeds. Useful on labels; stiff if you are just buying a snack.
4. 実 (mi) — this character means “fruit” or “nut,” and it turns up inside names of specific fruits, such as 梨 (nashi), the Japanese pear.
5. 果 (ka) — this character means “fruit” and appears in compounds, such as 桃 (momo), peach.

A simple sentence is enough: 好きな果物は何ですか。 — Suki na kudamono wa nan desu ka. “What fruit do you like?” On a menu, fruit often sits beside other kitchen words; the same katakana habit shows up in Japanese food vocabulary.

List of fruits in Japanese

Fruit	Japanese	Rōmaji
Fruit	果物	kudamono
Fruit	フルーツ	furūtsu
Apple	林檎	ringo
Orange	オレンジ	orenji
Banana	バナナ	banana
Watermelon	西瓜	suika
Strawberry	苺 | イチゴ	ichigo
Lemon	檸檬	remon
Peach	桃	momo
Pear (nashi)	梨	nashi
Mango	マンゴー	mangō
Durian	ドリアン	dorian
Pineapple	パイナップル	painappuru
Mandarin / tangerine	蜜柑	mikan
Grape	葡萄	budō
Raisin	干し葡萄	hoshi budō
Ume (Japanese apricot)	梅	ume
Apricot	杏	anzu
Apricot	アプリコット	apurikotto
Cherry	サクランボ	sakuranbo
Cherry	チェリー	cherī
Persimmon	柿	kaki
Fig	無花果	ichijiku
Chestnut	栗	kuri
Yuzu	柚 / 柚子	yuzu
Pomegranate	石榴	zakuro
Melon	メロン	meron
Guava	グアバ	guaba
Kiwi	キウイ	kiui
Papaya	パパイヤ	papaiya
Coconut	ココナッツ	kokonattsu
Grapefruit	グレープフルーツ	gurēpufurūtsu
Jackfruit	ジャックフルーツ	jakkufurūtsu
Blueberry	ブルーベリー	burūberī
Blackberry	ブラックベリー	burakkuberī
Raspberry	木苺	kiichigo
Raspberry	ラズベリー	razuberī
Avocado	アボカド	abokado
Lime	ライム	raimu
Nut / tree nut	木の実	konomi
Berry	漿果	shōka
Plum (Western)	プラム	puramu

Ume is usually rendered as “plum” in English, even though the fruit sits closer to apricot; the page on ume, umeboshi, and umeshu follows that trail. Yuzu is its own citrus — not a pomelo and not a Christmas orange — and belongs with kinkan, daidai, sudachi, and the other Japanese citrus names.

+ 100 fruits in Japanese [list]

• abokado (アボカド) - Avocado
• akebi (アケビ) - Akebia
• amanatsu (アマナツ) - Amanatsu, Japanese summer citrus
• āmondo (アーモンド) - Almond
• anzu (アンズ) - Apricot
• aserora (アセロラ) - Acerola
• banana (バナナ) - Banana
• berī-rui (ベリー類) - Berries
• biwa, bipa (びわ、枇杷) - Loquat, Japanese loquat
• budō (ブドウ) - Grape
• buntan (ブンタン) - Buntan, pomelo
• burakkuberī (ブラックベリー) - Blackberry
• burūberī (ブルーベリー) - Blueberry
• cherimoya (チェリモヤ) - Cherimoya
• doragonfurūtsu (ドラゴンフルーツ) - Dragon fruit
• dorian (ドリアン) - Durian
• guarana (ガラナ) - Guaraná
• gorenshi (ゴレンシ) - Starfruit
• guava (グアヴァ) - Guava
• gumi (グミ) - Silverberry, Elaeagnus
• guranadira (グラナディラ) - Granadilla
• gurēpu, budō (グレープ、ブドウ、ぶどう、葡萄) - Grapes
• gurēpufurūtsu (グレープフルーツ) - Grapefruit
• hōzuki, oniō, saisarisu (ホオズキ、ほおずき、鬼灯、サイサリス) - Physalis, ground cherry
• ichigo (いちご) - Strawberry
• ichijiku (いちじく) - Fig
• janboran (ジャンボラン) - Java plum, jambolan
• kaki (カキ) - Persimmon
• kamiasu (カミアス) - Bilimbi, kamias
• kankitsu-rui (カンキツ類、柑橘類) - Citrus
• kantarōpu (カンタロープ) - Cantaloupe
• karin (カリン) - Quince
• kashūnattsu (カシューナッツ) - Cashew
• kasutādoappuru (カスタードアップル) - Custard apple
• kinkan (キンカン) - Kumquat
• kiui (キウイ) - Kiwi
• kokonattsu (ココナッツ) - Coconut
• kuranberī (クランベリー) - Cranberry
• mangosuchin (マンゴスチン) - Mangosteen
• mangō (マンゴー) - Mango
• meron (メロン) - Melon
• mikan (ミカン、みかん、蜜柑) - Mandarin, tangerine
• nagamipannoki (ナガミパンノキ) - Long-fruited breadfruit
• nashi (なし、梨) - Japanese pear
• natsume (ナツメ) - Jujube
• natsumeyashi no mi (ナツメヤシの実) - Date
• nēburu (ネーブル) - Navel orange
• nektarin (ネクタリン) - Nectarine
• nippayashi no mi (ニッパヤシの実) - Nipa palm fruit
• orenji (オレンジ) - Orange
• painappuru (パイナップル) - Pineapple
• pan no ki (パンの木) - Breadfruit
• papaiya (パパイヤ) - Papaya
• passhonfurūtsu (パッションフルーツ) - Passion fruit
• pīchi, momo (ピーチ、もも、桃) - Peach
• ponkan (ポンカン) - Ponkan
• purūn (プルーン) - Prune, European plum
• raichi (ライチ) - Lychee
• raimu (ライム) - Lime
• ranbūtan (ランブータン) - Rambutan
• ransa (ランサ) - Duku, langsat
• razuberī (ラズベリー) - Raspberry
• remon (レモン) - Lemon
• renbu (レンブ) - Water apple
• rēzun, hoshi budō (レーズン、干しブドウ) - Raisins
• ringo (りんご) - Apple
• rongan, ryūgan (ロンガン、りゅうがん、竜眼、龍眼) - Longan
• sakuranbo (さくらんぼ) - Cherry
• sapojira (サポジラ) - Sapodilla
• sarakuyashi (サラクヤシ) - Salak
• satōyashi no mi (サトウヤシの実) - Sugar palm fruit
• shokuyōhōzuki (ショクヨウホオズキ) - Cape gooseberry
• suguri (スグリ) - Gooseberry
• suika (スイカ) - Watermelon
• sumomo (スモモ) - Japanese plum
• sutāfurūtsu, gorenko (スターフルーツ、五斂子) - Starfruit
• tahichimonbishi (タヒチモンビシ) - Otaheite apple
• togabanreishi no mi (トゲバンレイシの実) - Soursop
• ume (ウメ) - Japanese apricot
• yamamomo (ヤマモモ) - Wax myrtle, yumberry
• zakuro (ザクロ) - Pomegranate

Parts of fruits in Japanese

Below are some terms related to parts of fruits in Japanese, such as berries, juice, seed, and peel.

English	Japanese	Rōmaji
berries	ベリー類	berī-rui
citrus	柑橘類	kankitsu-rui
core	芯	shin
flesh / pulp	果肉	kaniku
juice	果汁	kajū
nectar (drink)	ネクター	nekutā
peel / skin	皮	kawa
seed, pit	種、核	tane, kaku
seed	種	tane