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Kotomora

鳩

pigeon, dove

JLPTN1StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • キュウ
  • ク

Kun'yomi

  • はと
  • あつ.める

Nanori

  • やす

Meaning

鳩 centers on a specific type of bird: a pigeon or dove. The meanings are straightforward and refer to the same animal.

Most common words using 鳩

20 of 49
  • 鳩はと
    N1

    pigeon; dove

  • 斑鳩いかるが

    Japanese grosbeak

  • 伝書鳩でんしょばと

    carrier pigeon; homing pigeon

  • 鳩尾みぞおち

    pit of the stomach; solar plexus

  • 雉鳩きじばと

    Oriental turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis); rufous turtle dove

  • 鳩時計はとどけい

    cuckoo clock

  • 鳩尾きゅうび

    pit of the stomach

  • 鳩首きゅうしゅ

    going into a huddle

  • レース鳩レースはと

    racing pigeon; homing pigeon

  • 冠鳩かんむりばと

    crowned pigeon

  • 初鳩はつばと

    pigeon seen on the morning of the New Year (e.g. as one is going to the shrine or temple for the New Year prayers)

  • 嘆鳩なげきばと

    mourning dove (Zenaida macroura)

  • 土鳩どばと

    domestic pigeon; feral pigeon

  • 堂鳩どうばと

    feral pigeon; domestic pigeon

  • 子鳩こばと

    squab; young pigeon

  • 孔雀鳩くじゃくばと

    fantail pigeon

  • 家鳩いえばと

    domestic pigeon

  • 山鳩やまばと

    mountain-dwelling dove

  • 旅行鳩りょこうばと

    passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)

  • 海鳩うみばと

    pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba)

Explore all words using 鳩 →

Study

Etymology

鳩 combines 九 (which likely contributes the sound) with 鳥 (bird), forming a phono-semantic character for a pigeon or dove.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 九 looks like a stylized bird with a curved neck, and the right side 鳥 confirms it's a bird. Together they make a pigeon or dove.

Reading mnemonic

For キュウ, picture a pigeon cooing "kyuu, kyuu" as it pecks at seeds: the cooing sound cues キュウ.