夕顔(ゆうがお)

ゆうがお
noun
moonflower; bottle gourd
plant-flowernature
1. bottle gourd plant; moonflower (Lagenaria siceraria)
A climbing vine whose large white flowers open in the evening. Its fruit is used to make 干瓢(かんぴょう) (dried gourd strips, often eaten in sushi).
夕顔(ゆうがお)が咲(さ)いた。
The moonflowers have bloomed.
夕顔(ゆうがお)は夕方(ゆうがた)に白(しろ)い花(はな)を咲(さ)かせる。
The moonflower opens white blossoms in the evening.
夕顔(ゆうがお)の実(み)を細長(ほそなが)く削(けず)って干(ほ)したものが干瓢(かんぴょう)だ。
Kanpyo is the strips of moonflower fruit shaved thin and dried.

Named from 夕(ゆう) (evening) + 顔(がお) (face), reflecting that the flowers open at dusk. Belongs to the gourd family, not the morning-glory family despite the parallel naming.

Common collocations

Cultural note

夕顔(ゆうがお) is also the name of a famous chapter and character in The Tale of Genji (源氏物語(げんじものがたり)), giving the word strong literary associations.

Similar words

  • 朝顔(あさがお): morning glory — opens in the morning; the parallel-naming partner
  • 昼顔(ひるがお): bindweed — opens during the day
  • 夜顔(よるがお): moonflower (Ipomoea alba) — different plant, also opens at night

Related Words

Compare: 朝顔(あさがお) (morning glory)
Compare: 昼顔(ひるがお) (bindweed)
general
Added 2026.6.4 11:08 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
28500/28687_yuugao