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How to say 'Germ' in Japanese | 菌

Wondering how to say 'Germ' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Germ is 'Kin', written as 菌 in Japanese.'Germ' in hiragana is きん.

    word

    Meaning

    Germ

    Reading

    きん

    kin

    Kanji

    Fungus, Bacteria

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '菌 (きん)' refers to 'germ' or 'microorganism'. It is commonly used in contexts related to biology, medicine, and hygiene. This term can refer to bacteria, fungi, or other microscopic organisms, often with a negative connotation when discussing illness or contamination. For example: wash your hands to remove germs「手を洗って菌を落とす」(てをあらってきんをおとす). This food has harmful bacteria「この食べ物には有害な菌がいる」(このたべものにはゆうがいなきんがいる). The word is also used in scientific contexts, such as '乳酸菌 (にゅうさんきん)' (lactic acid bacteria).

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    9

    Frequency

    3789

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Fungus, Bacteria

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 2 Words contain the Kanji 菌 as well.

  • word

    細菌

    Meaning

    Bacteria

  • word

    ばい菌

    Meaning

    Germs

Learn the Word

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What does 'Kin' (菌) mean?

'Kin' means 'Germ' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.