かぼちゃ

also: ぼうぶら · なんか

か

ぼ

ちゃ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

pumpkin; squash

usually written using kana alone

Refers to pumpkins and squashes of the genus Cucurbita. The word is usually written in kana. The dialectal form ぼうぶら is used in Kansai.

from Portuguese Cambodia abóbora

かぼちゃの煮に物ものが大だい好すきです。
I love simmered pumpkin.

ハロウィンにはかぼちゃをくり抜ぬいてランタンを作つくります。

For Halloween, we hollow out pumpkins and make lanterns.

Written forms

かぼちゃUsage56%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
カボチャUsage36%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in botanical or culinary contexts.
南瓜Usage8%
- かぼちゃ
  Kanji spelling is recognized but the word is usually written in kana.
- なんか
  out-dated reading
- ぼうぶら
ぼうぶら
Kansai dialect form; not standard Japanese.
なんか
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana usage; not used in modern Japanese.

Kanji

南south
瓜melon

Similar words

パンプキン
English loanword often used for Western-style pumpkin dishes or Halloween contexts, while かぼちゃ is the general Japanese term.

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese 'Cambodia abóbora' (pumpkin from Cambodia), reflecting the introduction of the vegetable via Portuguese traders. The dialectal form ぼうぶら is a contraction of the same Portuguese source.