“cotton” in Japanese is 綿, read men, wata (めん, わた). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 木綿 (cotton).
What does 綿 mean?
綿のシャツはやわらかい。
| Kanji | 綿 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | cotton |
| Readings | めん, わた |
| Grade | Grade 5 (Hard) |
| Curriculum | Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school |
| Example | 木綿 (cotton) |
綿 is read men (めん) or wata (わた) depending on the word.
Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side: