蚊

• Reading: か
• Romaji: ka
• Kanji breakdown: 蚊 (ka) — mosquito
• Pronunciation: /ka/

Meaning

Mosquito. A small flying insect that bites and sucks blood, common in summer.

A noun for mosquito, one of the most familiar summer pests in Japan. Common expressions include 蚊に刺される (to be bitten by a mosquito), 蚊取り線香 (katori senkou, mosquito coil), and 蚊帳 (kaya, mosquito net). The sound of a mosquito buzzing is a quintessential Japanese summer experience.

Examples

1. 昨夜蚊に刺されて腕がかゆい。 I got bitten by a mosquito last night and my arm is itchy.
2. 夏になると蚊が増えるので対策が必要だ。 Mosquitoes increase in summer, so you need to take precautions.
3. 蚊取り線香をつけてから寝た。 I lit a mosquito coil before going to bed.

Usage Guide

Context: summer, daily life, health

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 蚊 combines 虫 (insect radical) and 文 (pattern/writing), where 文 serves as a phonetic component (bun/mon → ka in Japanese). The insect radical clearly categorizes it as a bug.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal