爪
claw, nail, talon
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- つめ
- つま-
Meaning
爪 centers on the hard, curved, pointed covering at the end of a finger or toe: a claw, nail, or talon.
Most common words using 爪
20 of 73- 爪つめN4
nail (e.g. fingernail, toenail); claw; talon; hoof
- 爪楊枝つまようじN1
toothpick
- 爪痕そうこん
fingernail mark; scratch
- 爪痕つめあと
fingernail mark; scratch
- 鉤爪かぎづめ
claw; talon
- 小爪川獺こつめかわうそ
Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea)
- 深爪ふかづめ
cutting a fingernail (or toenail) to the quick; cutting a nail too close
- 爪先立ちつまさきだち
standing on tiptoes
- 爪切りつめきりN1
nail clippers
- アフリカ爪蛙アフリカつめがえる
African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)
- 付け爪つけづめ
artificial fingernail; fake fingernail
- 夜爪よづめ
cutting one's nails at night (said to cause one to miss the deathbed of one's parents)
- 小爪こづめ
lunula; half-moon (of a fingernail)
- 巻き爪まきづめ
ingrown toenail
- 平爪蟹ひらつめがに
swimming crab (Ovalipes punctatus); sand crab
- 扁爪ひらづめ
nail (e.g. fingernail, toenail)
- 抜爪ばっそう
nail removal; declawing
- 抜爪術ばっそうじゅつ
declawing; onychectomy
- 有爪動物ゆうそうどうぶつ
velvet worm (Onychophora)
- 爪だにつめだに
cheyletid (any mite of the family Cheyletidae)
Study
Etymology
爪 is a pictograph of a hand with curved claws or nails. The modern form retains the claw-like shape with a top horizontal stroke and three downward-curving strokes.
Meaning mnemonic
The top horizontal stroke is like the back of a hand, and the three downward strokes are the sharp, curved claws extending from it.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a claw scratching a sore spot: sore -> ソウ, and the claw leaves a mark.