(あめだま)

あめだま
noun
hard candy; drop
1. hard candy; candy drop
A small, round, hard piece of candy meant to be sucked rather than chewed. A traditional Japanese confection that comes in various flavors.
飴玉(あめだま)をなめる。
To suck on a hard candy.
おばあちゃん(おばあちゃん)がいつも飴玉(あめだま)をくれた。
Grandma always gave me hard candies.
(のど)(いた)いときは飴玉(あめだま)(ひと)(くち)()れると(らく)になる。
When your throat hurts, popping a hard candy in your mouth helps.

USAGE:
The word combines (あめ) (candy) and (たま) (ball), describing the round shape. While (あめ) can refer to any kind of candy or sweets in general, 飴玉(あめだま) specifically refers to the hard, round type.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 飴玉(あめだま)をなめる (to suck on a candy)
  • 飴玉(あめだま)をしゃぶる (to suck on a candy)
  • 飴玉(あめだま)(くば)る (to hand out candies)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • (あめ): candy, sweets — broader term
  • キャンディー: candy — loanword, more modern feel