卵
egg, ovum, spawn, roe
Readings
On'yomi
- ラン
Kun'yomi
- たまご
Meaning
卵 centers on the reproductive cell or early life stage: an egg, ovum, spawn, or roe. It refers to the biological entity that develops into a new individual.
Most common words using 卵
20 of 178- 卵たまごN5
eggs; egg; spawn; roe
- 産卵さんらん
egg-laying; spawning
- 卵焼きたまごやき
rolled egg; rolled omelette (omelet)
- 卵子らんし
ovum; ovule; egg cell
- 卵巣らんそう
ovary
- 卵黄らんおう
egg yolk
- 受精卵じゅせいらん
fertilized egg; fertilised egg
- 排卵はいらん
ovulation
- 鶏卵けいらん
hen's egg
- 卵白らんぱく
white of an egg; albumen
- 卵胞らんぽう
(ovarian) follicle
- 一卵性双生児いちらんせいそうせいじ
identical twins
- 卵殻らんかく
eggshell
- 抱卵ほうらん
incubation
- 採卵さいらん
egg collection (from hens, fish, etc.)
- 卵生らんせい
oviparity; produced from eggs
- 孵卵ふらん
incubation; hatching
- 卵管らんかん
fallopian tube; oviduct
- 卵形らんけい
oval shape; egg shape
- 排卵誘発剤はいらんゆうはつざい
ovulation-inducing drug
Study
Etymology
卵 is a pictograph of fish eggs or spawn, with the two dots representing the eggs and the surrounding strokes the membrane or cluster. The modern form retains this egg-like image.
Meaning mnemonic
The two small dots inside the curved strokes look like eggs nestled in a cluster. Picture fish roe or a bird's egg: 卵 is an egg.
Reading mnemonic
For ラン, imagine a hen laying an egg with a soft 'ran' sound as it drops into the nest: ran -> ラン.