初物

Japanese

Kanji in this term
初	物
はつ Grade: 4	もの Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Etymology

Compound of Old Japanese elements 初 (hatsu, “first”) +‎ 物 (mono, “thing”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はつもの [hàtsúmónó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ha̠t͡sɨᵝmo̞no̞]

Noun

初(はつ)物(もの) • (hatsumono) 

1. the first crop or harvest of the season

   初物(はつもの)のメロンを頂(いただ)きました。

   Hatsumono no meron o itadakimashita.

   I received the first melon of the season.

2. a virgin

Derived terms

• 初物食(はつものぐい), 初物食(はつものぐ)い (hatsumono-gui): a preference for eating the first foods of the season; by extension, a preference for new things; a person with such preferences; a libertine who targets virgins