菜

Vegetable

な (na)

JLPT N4

Interesting Fact

🥬 As winter ends, Japanese families head into the mountains in search of sansai (山菜), edible wild vegetables that grow naturally in forests. Their unique earthy taste and impressive nutritional value have made them a treasured part of Japanese cuisine for centuries.

Memory Trick

🥬 The top of 菜 looks like leafy vegetables growing in a garden. The bottom looks like a wooden basket. Imagine filling your basket with fresh vegetables you just harvested. Leaves + Basket = 菜 (Vegetables).