羽

• Reading: はね
• Romaji: hane
• Kanji breakdown: 羽 (u/hane) — wing, feather
• Pronunciation: /ha.ne/

Meaning

Wing; feather; a body part of birds and insects used for flight, or a single plume.

A noun meaning both 'wing' and 'feather.' As a wing: 羽を広げる (hane wo hirogeru, to spread one's wings). As a feather: 羽毛 (umou, down/feather), 羽根 (hane, feather/plume — variant spelling). Also functions as a counter for birds and rabbits: 一羽 (ichiwa). Used in compounds: 羽田 (Haneda, Tokyo airport), 羽根つき (hanetsuki, Japanese badminton). The more literary word for wing is 翼 (tsubasa).

Examples

1. 鳥が羽を広げて飛び立った。 The bird spread its wings and took flight.
2. 枕に使われている羽はとても軽い。 The feathers used in the pillow are very light.
3. 公園で白い羽を一枚拾った。 I picked up a single white feather at the park.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, birds, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 羽 is a pictograph depicting a pair of feathered wings. One of the oldest Chinese characters, directly representing the visual form of bird wings.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal