朝顔

Japanese

Kanji in this term
朝	顔
あさ Grade: 2	かお > がお Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
朝顏 (kyūjitai)

朝顔

Etymology

Lit. morning face, 朝(あさ) (asa, “morning”) + 顔(がお) (gao, “face”)

Noun

朝(あさ)顔(がお) or 朝顔(アサガオ) • (asagao) 

1. Japanese morning glory, Ipomoea nil

   Synonyms: 牽牛花 (kengyūka), 牽牛子 (kengoshi), 鏡草 (kagamigusa)

2. (by extension) the seeds of the morning glory

   Synonym: 牽牛子 (kengoshi)

3. something with the shape of a morning glory flower
4. 家紋 (“crest pattern”) of morning glories
5. Synonym of 桔梗 (kikyō, “Chinese bellflower, Platycodon grandiflorum”)
6. Synonym of 木槿 (mukuge, “rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus”)
7. the face one sees on waking, one's bedpartner
8. Synonym of 蜉蝣 (kagerō, “mayfly”), also 朝顔虫 (asagao-mushi)

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary).

Derived terms

• 星朝顔(ホシアサガオ) (hoshi asagao)
• 豆朝顔(マメアサガオ) (mame asagao)

Descendants

• Min Nan: a-sá-gá-o͘h

See also

• 夕顔(ゆうがお) (yūgao), 夜顔(よるがお) (yorugao)
• 昼顔(ひるがお) (hirugao)

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.