Chinese

Noun

蜜蜂

1. bee; honeybee   (Classifier: 隻／只 m; 群 m)

Synonyms

• (Min Nan) 蜂

See also

• 大黃蜂／大黄蜂 (dàhuángfēng)
• 黃蜂／黄蜂 (huángfēng)
• 胡蜂 (húfēng)
• (not to be confused with) 蜂蜜 (fēngmì)

Japanese

蜜蜂: a honeybee.

Etymology

Compound of 蜜 ‎(mitsu, “honey”) +‎ 蜂 ‎(hachi, “bee”).^[1][2][3]The hachi changes to bachi as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

Pronunciation

• Jūbakoyomi
• (Tokyo) みつ​ばち [mìtsúꜜbàchì] (Nakadaka - [2])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [mit͡sɯᵝba̠t͡ɕi]

Noun

蜜蜂 ‎(hiragana みつばち, romaji mitsubachi)

1. honeybee

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana in biological contexts, as ミツバチ.

See also

• 蜂 (はち) ‎(hachi): a bee; a wasp; a hornet
• 雀蜂 (すずめばち) ‎(suzumebachi): a wasp, a yellow jacket
• 蜂蜜 (はちみつ) ‎(hachimitsu): honey

References

1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
3. ↑ 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0