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Kotomora

鶴

crane, stork

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes21

Readings

On'yomi

  • カク

Kun'yomi

  • つる

Nanori

  • たず
  • ず
  • か
  • つ
  • づ

Meaning

鶴 centers on the tall, long-legged bird known as a crane or stork, often associated with elegance and longevity in Japanese culture.

Most common words using 鶴

20 of 42
  • 鶴つる
    N1

    crane (any bird of the family Gruidae, esp. the red-crowned crane, Grus japonensis)

  • 真鶴まなづる

    white-naped crane (Grus vipio)

  • 千羽鶴せんばづる

    (string of) many (traditionally 1000) paper cranes

  • 折り鶴おりづる

    paper crane; origami crane

  • 鶴嘴つるはし

    pickaxe; pickax; pick

  • 田鶴たず

    crane (bird)

  • アメリカ白鶴アメリカしろづる

    whooping crane (Grus americana)

  • カナダ鶴カナダづる

    sandhill crane (Grus canadensis)

  • 丹頂鶴たんちょうづる

    red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis); Japanese crane

  • 亀の年を鶴が羨むかめのとしをつるがうらやむ

    some people are never satisfied; the crane envies the longevity of the turtle

  • 冠鶴かんむりづる

    black crowned crane (Balearica pavonina)

  • 姉羽鶴あねはづる

    demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo); Numidian crane

  • 折鶴蘭おりづるらん

    St Bernard's lily (Chlorophytum comosum); ribbon plant; spider plant

  • 掃き溜めに鶴はきだめにつる

    a jewel in a dunghill

  • 毒鶴茸どくつるたけ

    destroying angel (Amanita virosa)

  • 焼け野の雉夜の鶴やけののきぎすよるのつる

    parents may risk life and limb for their children (like a pheasant when the plains are burning or a crane on a cold night)

  • 白鶴はくつる

    Hakutsuru (brand of sake)

  • 紅鶴べにづる

    flamingo (Phoenicopteridae)

  • 舞鶴草まいづるそう

    snakeberry (Maianthemum dilatatum); two-leaved Solomon's seal; false lily of the valley

  • 葦田鶴あしたず

    crane (bird)

Explore all words using 鶴 →

Study

Etymology

鶴 combines 隺 (a phonetic component associated with the sound) and 鳥 (bird), forming a phono-semantic character for a crane or stork.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side 隺 looks like a tall, elegant bird with a crest, and the right side 鳥 confirms it's a bird. Together, they form the graceful crane.

Reading mnemonic

For カク, imagine a crane making a loud 'caw-caw' sound as it flies: 'caw-caw' cues カク, and the crane's call echoes across the marsh.