うさぎ

• 読み: うさぎ
• ローマ字: usagi
• 漢字の分解: 兎 (to/usagi) — rabbit, hare
• 発音: /ɯ.sa.ɡi/

意味

Rabbit; hare. A small, long-eared mammal known for hopping.

A noun for rabbits and hares, almost always written in hiragana although the kanji 兎 exists. Rabbits hold special significance in Japanese culture, appearing in the folk tale of the Moon Rabbit (月のうさぎ), who is said to pound rice cakes on the moon. The counter for rabbits is traditionally 羽 (wa, used for birds) rather than 匹, though 匹 is also accepted today.

例文

1. 公園でうさぎにえさをあげた。
2. 娘がうさぎを飼いたいと言っている。
3. うさぎは耳が長くてかわいい。

使い方ガイド

場面: animals, children, folklore

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From Old Japanese. The kanji 兎 is a pictograph of a rabbit, with the lower strokes representing legs and a tail. The connection to the moon rabbit is a cultural tradition shared across East Asia.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal