綿花

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 綿花 (めんか) is a noun for cotton bolls and the raw cotton harvested from the plant.
• Basic usage: 白い綿花が実る makes ripening cotton in a field the subject, while 綿花から種を取り除く makes harvested cotton the source material from which seeds are removed.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Growing bolls and harvested material
  • 綿花が実る describes cotton ripening on the plant, whereas 収穫した綿花 is already harvested material. The から marks the source from which seeds are removed, not removal of the cotton itself.