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Mei 芽衣 – Japanese girl given name
Mei (芽衣) is read めい and has 2 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 芽衣, the characters mean: bud + garment. This reading can be written with at least 75 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 8 to 21 strokes in total.
About the name Mei
Mei is short and easy for foreign speakers. 芽衣 pairs "sprout" with "garment", and 萌 refers to buds just beginning to grow.
How to write Mei in Japanese
| Kanji | Reading | Literal meaning | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 芽衣 | めい | bud + garment | 14 |
| 萌 | めい | show symptoms of | 11 |
| 五月 | めい | five + month | 8 |
| 明意 | めい | bright + idea | 21 |
| 明海 | めい | bright + sea | 17 |
| 命生 | めい | fate + life | 13 |
Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.
The kanji in Mei
Mei in different scripts
| Romaji | Mei |
|---|---|
| Hiragana | めい |
| Katakana | メイ |
| Kanji (most common) | 芽衣 |
Full name examples
- Mei Yuki (Japanese order: 結城芽衣, ゆうき めい)
- Mei Kono (Japanese order: 河野芽衣, こうの めい)
- Mei Maki (Japanese order: 牧芽衣, まき めい)
How to pronounce Mei
Break it into 1 parts: mei. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 2 sound units are written めい.
Questions about Mei
What does Mei mean in Japanese?
Mei has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 芽衣, combines these meanings: bud + garment. Other spellings include 萌 (show symptoms of), 五月 (five + month), 明意 (bright + idea).
How do you write Mei in kanji?
The most common way is 芽衣 (めい). It can also be written 萌, 五月, 明意, 明海, 命生.
How do you write Mei in katakana?
Mei is メイ in katakana and めい in hiragana.
Is Mei a boy or girl name?
Mei is mostly used for girls.
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Themes: NatureLight and sun
Other names that use 芽
芽: bud, sprout, spear
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Name data: JMnedict and KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Filtered, regrouped and annotated by NihonNames.