米(べい)

べい

noun, prefix

America; the US (in compounds)

1. America; the United States; US (prefix/compound element)

The on'yomi reading of 米(べい) used as an abbreviated reference to the United States, derived from the historical transliteration 亜米利加(あめりか). Mostly used in compounds, especially in news writing about US politics, military, and trade.

米軍(べいぐん)が基地(きち)を置(お)いている。

The US military has a base there.

日米(にちべい)の首脳(しゅのう)が会談(かいだん)した。

The leaders of Japan and the US held talks.

米中(べいちゅう)貿易摩擦(ぼうえきまさつ)が経済(けいざい)に影響(えいきょう)を与(あた)えている。

US-China trade friction is affecting the economy.

The kanji 米(べい) also has the kun'yomi reading こめ meaning 'rice' — context and compounding disambiguate. The 'America' sense appears almost exclusively as a prefix in compounds, especially in newspaper headlines where space is at a premium.

Compounds

米国(べいこく): the United States
米軍(べいぐん): the US military
日米(にちべい): Japan and the US
米中(べいちゅう): the US and China
訪米(ほうべい): a visit to the US
駐米(ちゅうべい): stationed in / posted to the US

Similar words

アメリカ: America — the standard full-katakana form used in everyday speech
米国(べいこく): the US — a single-word formal alternative

Cross-reference

The 'rice' sense (米(こめ)) is in entry 01323_kome.

Related Words

Related: 米(こめ)

Compare: アメリカ (America)

general

Added 2026.5.28 13:11 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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