# 梅

| 梅 | U+6885, &#26757; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6885 |
| ← 梄 [U+6884] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 梆 → [U+6886] |
| 梅 | U+FA44, &#64068; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-FA44 |
| ← 暑 [U+FA43] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs | 海 → [U+FA45] |
| 梅 | U+2F8E2, &#194786; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F8E2 |
| ← 桒 [U+2F8E1] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement | 𣑭 → [U+2F8E3] |

## Translingual

| Japanese | 梅 |
| Simplified | 梅 |
| Traditional | 梅 |

### Alternative forms

In Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese scripts, the right side component is written 每 (contains 母 with 2 dots). In Japanese shinjitai, the component is simplified to 毎 (contains 毋 with a single middle stroke). Due to Han unification, both characters (梅/梅) are encoded under the same Unicode codepoint. A CJK compatibility ideograph (U+FA44) exists for the kyūjitai form of 梅.

### Han character

梅 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+7 in Chinese, 木+6 in Japanese, 11 strokes in Chinese, 10 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 木人田卜 (DOWY), four-corner 4895$_7$, composition ⿰木每(GHTKV) or ⿰木毎(J))

#### Derived characters

* 𠻽, 𡠫, 䔦, 𫂚

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 528, character 8
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14795
* Dae Jaweon: page 916, character 23
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1215, character 13
* Unihan data for U+6885
* Unihan data for U+FA44
* Unihan data for U+2F8E2

## Chinese

* 梅姓 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 梅氏 (Cantonese)
* Mûi (sèⁿ) (Southern Min)

### Glyph origin

* Historical forms of the character 梅
* Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
* Small seal script
| | Old Chinese |
| 脢 | *mɯːs, *mɯː, *mɯːs |
| 挴 | *mlɯːʔ, *mɯːʔ |
| 海 | *hmlɯːʔ |
| 毐 | *ʔmɯː, *ʔmɯːʔ |
| 呣 | *mɯ |
| 拇 | *mɯʔ |
| 母 | *mɯʔ |
| 胟 | *mɯʔ |
| 姆 | *mɯʔ, *mɯs, *maːʔ |
| 畮 | *mɯʔ |
| 踇 | *mɯʔ |
| 苺 | *mɯs, *mɯːʔ, *mɯːs |
| 莓 | *mɯs, *mɯː, *mɯːs |
| 敏 | *mrɯʔ, *mrɯŋʔ |
| 鰵 | *mrɯŋʔ |
| 慜 | *mrɯŋʔ |
| 毋 | *ma |
| 梅 | *mɯː |
| 酶 | *mɯː |
| 鋂 | *mɯː |
| 每 | *mɯːʔ |
| 毎 | *mɯːs |
| 痗 | *mɯːs, *hmɯːs |
| 晦 | *hmɯːs |
| 誨 | *hmɯːs |
| 悔 | *hmɯːʔ, *hmɯːs |
| 霉 | *mrɯl |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *mɯː) : semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 每 (OC *mɯːʔ).

### Etymology

Seemingly related to Old Japanese 梅 (ume$_2$) (Shibatani, 1990; Miyake, 1997; apud Schuessler, 2007) (which was possibly borrowed from Middle Chinese). Its origin is unknown (Schuessler, 2007); its referent, Prunus mume, originated around the Yangtze River, now in south China yet initially outside the Chinese civilization's cradle in the Central Plain.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): méi (mei$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˊ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mui$^4$ / mui$^{4-2}$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): moi$^3$ / moi$^{3*}$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): mòi
    (Hailu, HRS): moi
    (Meixian, Guangdong): moi$^2$
* Northern Min (KCR): mô
* Eastern Min (BUC): muòi
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): m̂ / môe / moâi / mûi / bôe
    (Teochew, Peng'im): bhuê$^5$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^6$me / $^2$me / $^2$mei
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: méi
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: méi
*** Wade–Giles: mei$^2$
*** Yale: méi
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mei
*** Palladius: мэй (mɛj)
*** Sinological IPA : /meɪ̯³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: mui$^4$ / mui$^{4-2}$
*** Yale: mùih / múi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: mui$^4$ / mui$^{4-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mui$^4$ / mui$^{4-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /muːi̯²¹/, /muːi̯²¹⁻³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: moi$^3$ / moi$^{3*}$
*** Sinological IPA : /ᵐbᵘɔi²²/, /ᵐbᵘɔi²²⁻²²⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mòi
*** Hakka Romanization System: moi$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: moi$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /moi̯¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: moi
*** Sinological IPA: /moi⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: moi$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /moɪ¹¹/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mô
*** Sinological IPA : /mo³³/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: muòi
*** Sinological IPA : /mui⁵³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: m̂
*** Tâi-lô: m̂
*** Phofsit Daibuun: mm
*** IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Lukang, Kinmen): /m̩²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /m̩¹³/
** (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Taichung)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: môe
*** Tâi-lô: muê
*** Phofsit Daibuun: moee
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /muẽ²³/
** (Hokkien: Tainan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: moâi
*** Tâi-lô: muâi
*** Phofsit Daibuun: moaai
*** IPA (Tainan): /muãi²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Hsinchu)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mûi
*** Tâi-lô: muî
*** Phofsit Daibuun: muii
*** IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /muĩ²⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /muĩ²³/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan, Taichung)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bôe
*** Tâi-lô: buê
*** Phofsit Daibuun: boee
*** IPA (Yilan): /bue²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /bue¹³/
* Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou:
** m̂ - vernacular;
** mûi/bôe - literary.
* mainstream Taiwan:
** môe/m̂ - vernacular;
** mûi - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit梅 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /mei³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /mei²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /mei⁴⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /mei⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /me⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /mei⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /mei²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /mɨ²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /mei⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /mei⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /mei⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /mei²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /mei³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /mei²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /mei³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /məi²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /me⁵⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /mei¹¹/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /mæ¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /mei³¹/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /me²³/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /me̞¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /mei²¹³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /mai³¹/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /mɛ⁴⁴/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /mə⁴⁴/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /mei¹³/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /məi¹²/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /mi⁴⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /moi¹¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /moi¹¹/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /mui²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /mui²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /mui²¹/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /mui³⁵/ /m³⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /muoi⁵³/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /mo³³/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /bue⁵⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /vue³¹/ |
* Middle Chinese: mwoj
Rime :
| Character | 梅 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) |
| Final (韻) | 灰 (42) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 莫杯切 |
| Baxter | mwoj |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /muʌi/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /muoi/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /muɒi/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /mwəj/ |
| Li Rong | /muᴀi/ |
| Wang Li | /muɒi/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /muɑ̆i/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | méi |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | mui$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.mˤə/
    (Zhengzhang): /*mɯː/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 梅 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | méi |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ mwoj › |
| Old Chinese | /*C.mˁə/ |
| English | plum tree |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 梅 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 9302 |
| Phonetic component | 母 |
| Rime group | 之 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 枚 |
| Old Chinese | /*mɯː/ |

### Definitions

梅
* Prunus mume (Chinese plum or Japanese apricot)
    話梅／话梅 ― huàméi ― li hing mui
    烏梅／乌梅 ― wūméi ― smoked plum
* (in compounds) A plant sharing similarities with Prunus mume in habit, flowers or fruits
    蠟梅／蜡梅 ― làméi ― Chimonanthus praecox
    茶梅 ― cháméi ― Camellia sasanqua
    楊梅／杨梅 ― yángméi ― Myrica rubra
    西梅 ― xīméi ― Prunus domestica
* (obsolete) Alternative name for 楠 (nán, “Machilus nanmu”).
* Short for 梅雨 (méiyǔ).
* Short for 梅州 (Méizhōu).
* a surname
       mui$^4$ gwong$^1$ daat$^6$ [Jyutping]
       Mei Quong Tart (merchant)
       mui$^4$ jim$^6$ fong$^1$ [Jyutping]
       Anita Mui (singer)

#### Descendants

* → Malay: boi
* → Japanese: 梅(ばい) (bai)
* → Korean: 매(梅) (mae)
* → Vietnamese: mai (梅)
Others:
* →? Old Japanese: 梅 (ume$_2$)
** Japanese: 梅(うめ) (ume), 梅(むめ) (mume)
* → Vietnamese: mơ

### Compounds

* 乾梅 / 干梅
* 二度梅
* 入梅 (rùméi)
* 出梅
* 妻梅子鶴 / 妻梅子鹤
* 寒梅 (hánméi)
* 恩梅開江 / 恩梅开江 (Ēnméikāi Jiāng)
* 摽有梅
* 摽梅
* 摽梅之年
* 望梅止渴 (wàngméizhǐkě)
* 望梅消渴
* 杏梅
* 梅乾 / 梅干
* 梅仙
* 梅天
* 梅妃
* 梅妝 / 梅妆
* 梅妻鶴子 / 梅妻鹤子 (méiqīhèzǐ)
* 梅子 (méizi)
* 梅子溝 / 梅子沟 (Méizigōu)
* 梅家岩 (Méijiāyán)
* 梅家河 (Méijiāhé)
* 梅山 (Méishān)
* 梅山鄉 / 梅山乡
* 梅嶺 / 梅岭
* 梅川 (Méichuān)
* 梅市 (Méishì)
* 梅店 (Méidiàn)
* 梅拉尼婭 / 梅拉尼娅 (Méilāníyà)
* 梅月 (Méiyuè)
* 梅梅
* 梅樹 / 梅树
* 梅毒 (méidú)
* 梅湯 / 梅汤
* 梅田
* 梅花 (méihuā)
* 梅花三弄
* 梅花大鼓
* 梅花妝 / 梅花妆
* 梅花小娘
* 梅花嶺 / 梅花岭
* 梅花席
* 梅花樁 / 梅花桩
* 梅花鹿 (méihuālù)
* 梅菉 (Méilù)
* 梅豆
* 梅酒 (méijiǔ)
* 梅酢
* 梅鋪 / 梅铺 (Méipù)
* 梅開二度 / 梅开二度 (méikāi'èrdù)
* 梅雨 (méiyǔ)
* 梅風 / 梅风
* 梅香
* 梅鶴因緣 / 梅鹤因缘
* 楊梅 / 杨梅 (yángméi)
* 榆葉梅 / 榆叶梅
* 檕梅 (jìméi)
* 止渴思梅
* 江梅
* 洛梅
* 滷梅水 / 卤梅水
* 澆梅根 / 浇梅根
* 烏梅 / 乌梅 (wūméi)
* 烏梅酒 / 乌梅酒
* 米高梅 (Mǐ-Gāo-Méi)
* 紅梅記 / 红梅记
* 老梅 (Lǎoméi)
* 臘梅 / 腊梅 (làméi)
* 茶梅 (cháméi)
* 落梅風 / 落梅风
* 蠟梅 / 蜡梅 (làméi)
* 話梅 / 话梅 (huàméi)
* 說梅止渴 / 说梅止渴
* 踏雪尋梅 / 踏雪寻梅
* 酸梅 (suānméi)
* 酸梅湯 / 酸梅汤 (suānméitāng)
* 金梅草
* 金瓶梅 (Jīnpíngméi)
* 金鏤梅科 / 金镂梅科
* 陳皮梅 / 陈皮梅 (chénpíméi)
* 青梅竹馬 / 青梅竹马 (qīngméizhúmǎ)
* 鹽梅 / 盐梅
* 黃梅 / 黄梅 (huángméi)
* 黃梅天 / 黄梅天 (huángméitiān)
* 黃梅季 / 黄梅季 (huángméijì)
* 黃梅戲 / 黄梅戏 (huángméixì)
* 黃梅時候 / 黄梅时候
* 黃梅調 / 黄梅调
* 黃梅雨 / 黄梅雨

### References

* “梅”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* ↑ Uematsu, Chiyomi, Sasakuma, Tetsuo, Ogihara, Yasunari (1991) “Phylogenetic relationships in the stone fruit group of Prunus as revealed by restriction fragment analysis of chloroplast DNA”, in The Japanese Journal of Genetics, volume 66, number 1, →DOI, →PMID, page 60: “P. mume had its origin in South China around the Yangtze River (Kyotani, 1989b).”

## Japanese

| Shinjitai | 梅 |
| Kyūjitai | 梅 &#xFA44; or 梅+&#xFE00; |
| Kyūjitai | 梅󠄀 梅+&#xE0100; (Adobe-Japan1) |
| Kyūjitai | 梅󠄃 梅+&#xE0103; (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho) |
| The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details. |||

### Kanji

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 梅)

#### Readings

* Go-on: まい (mai)、め (me)
* Kan-on: ばい (bai, Jōyō)
* Kun: うめ (ume, 梅, Jōyō)
* Nanori: め (me)

#### Compounds

* 金瓶梅(きんぺいばい) (Kinpeibai)
* 入梅(ついり) (tsuiri)
* 梅雨(つゆ) (tsuyu)
* 楊梅(やまもも) (yamamomo)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 梅
* うめ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 梅 (kyūjitai) 楳
⟨me$_2$⟩ → */mːəɨ/ → *⟨mume$_2$⟩ → ⟨ume$_2$⟩ → */uməɨ/ → /ume/
From Old Japanese.
Probably ultimately from Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj), with the borrowed me reading gaining a pronounced kind of initial m- sound, perhaps realized as *mme. The phonetic spelling was often rendered as むめ (*mme, mume) from the Heian period, with *mme/mume and ume apparently existing in free variation. The reading eventually settled on うめ (ume). Compare the similar pattern of phonetic shift for 馬 (ma → *mma → muma → uma, “horse”), likely from Middle Chinese 馬 (MC maeX).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) うめ [ùmé] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ɯ̟me̞]

#### Noun

梅(うめ) or 梅(ウメ) • (ume)
* Japanese plum or apricot, Prunus mume
* a white plum blossom, as opposed to 紅梅 (kōbai, “red plum blossom”)
    Synonym: 白梅 (hakubai)
* the lowest of a three-level rank system
    Hypernym: 松竹梅
    Coordinate terms: 松, 竹, 梅
* a 家紋 (kamon, “family crest”) with varying designs of plum blossoms
* Short for 梅襲 (ume-gasane): a style of layering garments with dark crimson over light crimson
* (card games) the suit of plum blossoms in 花札 (hanafuda), representing the month of February
    Coordinate terms: 松, 梅, 桜, 藤, 菖蒲, 牡丹, 萩, 芒, 菊, 紅葉, 柳, 桐
* (historical, colloquial) Synonym of 天神 (tenjin): the second-highest ranked prostitute in Edo-period Kamigata, below the 大夫 (tayū)

##### Usage notes

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

##### Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:梅.

##### Derived terms

* 梅(うめ)が枝(え) (ume ga e)
* 梅(うめ)返(がえ)し (umegaeshi)
* 梅(ウメ)笠(ガサ)草(ソウ) (umegasasō)
* 梅(うめ)襲(がさね) (ume-gasane)
* 梅(うめ)暦(ごよみ) (ume-goyomi)
* 梅(うめ)崎(ざき) (Umezaki)
* 梅(うめ)沢(ざわ) (Umezawa)
* 梅(うめ)酒(しゅ) (umeshu, “plum wine”)
* 梅(うめ)醬(しょう)油(ゆ) (ume shōyu)
* 梅(うめ)酢(ず) (umezu)
* 梅(うめ)助(すけ) (umesuke)
* 梅(うめ)染(ぞ)め (umezome)
* 梅(うめ)園(ぞの) (umezono)
* 梅(うめ)田(だ) (Umeda)
* 梅(うめ)津(づ) (Umezu)
* 梅(うめ)つ五(さ)月(つき) (ume tsu satsuki)
* 梅(うめ)辻(つじ) (Umetsuji)
* 梅(うめ)壺(つぼ) (umetsubo)
* 梅(うめ)根(ね) (Umene)
* 梅(うめ)鉢(ばち) (umebachi)
* 梅(うめ)春(はる) (umeharu)
* 梅(うめ)醬(びしお) (umebishio)
* 梅(うめ)干(ぼ)し (umeboshi)
* 梅(うめ)見(み) (umemi)
* 梅(うめ)結(むす)び (umemusubi)
* 梅(うめ)擬(もどき) (umemodoki)
* 梅(うめ)谷(や)渋(しぶ) (umeyashibu)
* 梅(うめ)羊(よう)羹(かん) (ume yōkan)
* 梅(うめ)割(わ)り (umewari)
* 青(あお)梅(うめ) (aoume)
* 杏(アン)子(ズ)梅(ウメ) (anzu ume)
* 庵(いおり)の梅(うめ) (Iori no Ume)
* 岩(イワ)梅(ウメ) (iwaume)
* 裏(うら)梅(うめ) (uraume)
* 箙(えびら)の梅(うめ) (Ebira no Ume)
* 青(お)梅(うめ) (Ōme)
* 唐(から)梅(うめ) (karaume)
* 甲(こう)州(しゅう)梅(うめ) (kōshū ume)
* 小(こ)梅(うめ) (kōme)
* 氷(こおり)梅(うめ) (kōriume)
* 零(こぼ)れ梅(うめ) (koboreume)
* 枝(し)垂(だ)れ梅(うめ) (shidareume)
* 白(しら)梅(うめ) (shiraume)
* 袖(そで)の梅(うめ) (Sode-no-ume)
* 漬(つけ)梅(うめ), 漬(つ)け梅(うめ) (tsukeume)
* 天(テンノ)梅(ウメ) (ten no ume)
* 飛(と)び梅(うめ) (tobiume)
* 冬(とう)至(じ)梅(うめ) (tōji ume)
* 夏(なつ)梅(うめ) (natsuume)
* 煮(に)梅(うめ) (niume)
* 捩(ね)じ梅(うめ) (nejiume)
* 熨(のし)梅(うめ) (noshiume)
* 一(ひと)重(え)梅(うめ) (hitoe ume)
* 燻(ふす)べ梅(うめ) (fusubeume)
* 豊(ぶん)後(ご)梅(うめ) (Bungo ume)
* 干(ほ)し梅(うめ) (hoshiume)
* 実(み)梅(うめ) (miume)
* 梅桃(ユスラウメ) (yusuraume)

##### Proverbs

* 桜(さくら)切(き)る馬(ば)鹿(か)梅(うめ)切(き)らぬ馬(ば)鹿(か) (sakura kiru baka ume kiranu baka)

##### Descendants

* English: ume

##### See also

* 李(スモモ), 酸(ス)桃(モモ) (sumomo, “Prunus salicina”)

#### Proper noun

梅(うめ) • (Ume)
* a female given name
* a surname

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 梅
* むめ Grade: 4
* irregular
* Alternative spelling
* 梅 (kyūjitai)
⟨me$_2$⟩ → */mːəɨ/ → *⟨mume$_2$⟩ → /mume/
Possibly from Old Japanese.
This reading becomes common during the Heian period, later falling into disuse.
Superseded by the ume reading above.

#### Noun

梅(むめ) • (mume)
* (archaic, obsolete) the Japanese plum or apricot, Prunus mume

##### Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:梅.

##### Derived terms

* 唐(から)梅(むめ) (karamume)

##### Descendants

* → Translingual: mume

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 梅
* ばい Grade: 4
* kan'on
* Alternative spelling
* 梅 (kyūjitai)
From a later borrowing of Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj).

#### Noun

梅(ばい) • (bai)
* (usually in Chinese contexts) the Japanese plum or apricot, Prunus mume
* (historical, colloquial) Synonym of 天神 (tenjin): the second-highest ranked prostitute in Edo-period Kamigata, below the 大夫 (tayū)

#### Affix

梅(ばい) • (bai)
* plum
* Short for 梅雨 (baiu): East Asian rainy season
* Short for 梅毒 (baidoku): syphilis

##### Derived terms

* 梅(ばい)雨(う) (baiu)
* 梅(ばい)園(えん) (baien)
* 梅(ばい)花(か) (baika)
* 梅(ばい)果(か) (baika)
* 梅(バイ)蕙(ケイ)草(ソウ) (baikeisō)
* 梅(ばい)子(し) (baishi)
* 梅(ばい)天(てん) (baiten)
* 梅(ばい)毒(どく) (baidoku)
* 梅(ばい)肉(にく) (bainiku)
* 梅(ばい)林(りん) (bairin)
* 梅(ばい)霖(りん) (bairin)
* 梅(メイ)瓶(ピン) (meipin)
* 塩(あん)梅(ばい) (anbai)
* 烏(う)梅(ばい) (ubai)
* 塩(えん)梅(ばい) (enbai)
* 鶯(おう)宿(しゅく)梅(ばい) (ōshukubai)
* 黄(オウ)梅(バイ) (ōbai, “Jasminum nudiflorum”)
* 臥(が)竜(りょう)梅(ばい) (garyōbai)
* 寒(かん)梅(ばい) (kanbai)
* 観(かん)梅(ばい) (kanbai, “plum blossom viewing”)
* 甘(かん)露(ろ)梅(ばい) (kanrobai)
* 金(キン)糸(シ)梅(バイ) (kinshibai)
* 金(きん)梅(ばい) (kinbai)
* 金(キン)露(ロウ)梅(バイ) (kinrōbai)
* 駆(く)梅(ばい) (kubai)
* 検(けん)梅(ばい) (kenbai)
* 紅(こう)梅(ばい) (kōbai)
* 黄(こう)梅(ばい) (kōbai)
* 車(しゃ)輪(りん)梅(ばい) (sharinbai)
* 松(しょう)竹(ちく)梅(ばい) (shōchikubai)
* 早(そう)梅(ばい) (sōbai)
* 探(たん)梅(ばい) (tanbai)
* 茶(ちゃ)梅(ばい) (chabai, Chinese name for camellia)
* 入(にゅう)梅(ばい) (nyūbai)
* 白(はく)梅(ばい) (hakubai)
* 盆(ぼん)梅(ばい) (bonbai, “plum bonsai”)
* 野(や)梅(ばい) (yabai)
* 楊(よう)梅(ばい) (yōbai)
* 落(らく)梅(ばい) (rakubai)
* 利(リ)休(キュウ)梅(バイ) (Rikyū-bai, “Exochorda racemosa”)
* 老(ろう)梅(ばい) (rōbai)
* 﨟(ろう)梅(ばい), 蠟(ろう)梅(ばい), 臘(ろう)梅(ばい) (rōbai)

#### Proper noun

梅(ばい) • (Bai)
* a surname

### References

* ↑ “梅”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025
* ↑ 白川静 (Shirakawa Shizuka) (2014) “梅”, in 字通 (Jitsū)‎ (in Japanese), popular edition, Tōkyō: Heibonsha, →ISBN
* ↑ Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 1133 (paper), page 617 (digital)
* ↑ Shōundō Henshūjo, editor (1927), 新漢和辞典 [The New Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Ōsaka: Shōundō, →DOI, page 685 (paper), page 355 (digital)
* 1 2 3 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 4 Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj). Recorded as Middle Korean ᄆᆡ (moy) (Yale: moy) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 梅 (eumhun 매화나무 매 (maehwanamu mae))
* hanja form of 매 (“Prunus mume, a fruit tree”)
* hanja form of 매 (“plum blossom, a blossom of this tree”)
* hanja form of 매 (“a Korean surname”)

#### Compounds

* 매화 (梅花, maehwa)
* 매실 (梅實, maesil)
* 매우 (梅雨, mae'u)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Old Japanese
### Etymology

Possibly a shift from Middle Chinese 梅 (MC mwoj).

### Noun

梅 (ume$_2$) (kana うめ)
* the Japanese plum or apricot, Prunus mume

#### Usage notes

* Also used phonetically as 借音 (shakuon) for ⟨me$_2$⟩.

#### Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:梅.

#### Descendants

* Japanese: 梅(うめ) (ume), 梅(むめ) (mume)

### References

* ↑ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Vietnamese
### Han character

梅: Hán Nôm readings: mai
* rattan

#### Compounds

* 梅花 (mai hoa, “red avadavat; red munia; strawberry finch”)