鼻

• Reading: はな
• Romaji: hana
• Kanji breakdown: 鼻 (bi/hana) — nose
• Pronunciation: /ha.na/

Meaning

Nose. The organ of smell, located in the centre of the face.

Refers to the physical nose and the sense of smell. Appears in expressions like 鼻が高い (proud, literally 'tall nose'), 鼻水 (runny nose), and 鼻が利く (having a keen sense of smell). The id uses 'hana-nose' to distinguish from 花 (hana, flower).

Examples

1. 花粉の季節は鼻水が止まらない。 During pollen season, my nose won't stop running.
2. 犬は鼻がとても利きます。 Dogs have a very keen sense of smell.
3. 鼻が詰まって息がしにくい。 My nose is stuffy and it's hard to breathe.

Usage Guide

Context: health, daily life, description

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 鼻 originally depicted a nose with the self-referencing radical 自 (self), since people point to their nose when indicating themselves.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal