Meaning

Primary

To Brew

Alternatives

To Give Rise To, To Cause, To Distill

Word Type

transitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means brew, so the verb version is to brew.

These days 醸す is often used figuratively, in which case it'll mean to give rise to. You'll see it in relation to an event giving rise to controversy or debate, for example, or even in a phrase like ムードを醸す (to give rise to a certain mood).

Reading

かもす
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You haven't learned this reading yet, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

What do you want to brew? Some camomile (かも)-flavored beer. Who doesn't like a brewski that tastes of camomile? You think I'm joking, but these days all kinds of hipsters are out there brewing camomile beer.

Context

Context Sentences

アイドルの大胆な発言が物議を醸している。

The idol's bold statement is giving rise to public criticism.

Kanji Composition