サクランボ
さくらんぼ
noun
cherry (fruit)
1.
cherry (fruit)
The small, round, red fruit of the cherry tree, eaten fresh or used in desserts. In Japan, cherries from Yamagata Prefecture are particularly famous.
サクランボを食べた。
I ate some cherries.
赤いサクランボがたくさん実をつけた。
Lots of red cherries bore fruit.
山形県はサクランボの産地として有名だ。
Yamagata Prefecture is famous as a cherry-producing region.
サクランボ refers to the edible cherry fruit, distinct from the ornamental 桜 (cherry blossom) trees.
WRITING:
Usually written in katakana. The kanji 桜桃 exists but is rarely used. The variant さくらんぼう is also heard but less common.
CULTURAL NOTE:
山形県 produces about 70% of Japan's cherries and is synonymous with the fruit. Cherry-picking (サクランボ狩り) is a popular seasonal activity in June-July.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- サクランボ狩り: cherry picking
- 佐藤錦: Satou Nishiki (Japan's most prized cherry variety)
- サクランボの木: cherry tree (fruit-bearing variety)
NOTE:
The 桜 trees famous for 花見 (cherry blossom viewing) are ornamental varieties that typically do not produce edible fruit.