蛙
frog
Readings
On'yomi
- ア
- ワ
Kun'yomi
- かえる
- かわず
Meaning
蛙 centers on the animal frog. It is a straightforward creature name with no major abstract extensions.
Most common words using 蛙
20 of 66- 蛙かえるN1
frog
- 雨蛙あまがえる
tree frog (esp. the Japanese tree frog, Hyla japonica)
- 牛蛙うしがえる
American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)
- アフリカ爪蛙アフリカつめがえる
African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)
- コバルト矢毒蛙コバルトやどくがえる
blue poison dart frog (Dendrobates azureus)
- シュレーゲル青蛙シュレーゲルあおがえる
Schlegel's green tree frog (Rhacophorus schlegelii)
- ホルスト蛙ホルストがえる
Holst's frog (Rana holsti)
- 井の中の蛙いのなかのかわず
person who is ignorant of the real world; frog in a well
- 井の中の蛙、大海を知らずいのなかのかわず、たいかいをしらず
the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean
- 井蛙せいあ
frog in a well; someone with a narrow perspective
- 井蛙の見せいあのけん
narrow perspective
- 井蛙は以って海を語る可からずせいあはもってうみをかたるべからず
a narrow-minded person cannot understand the ways of the world; a frog in the well cannot understand the ocean even if it is explained to it
- 亜細亜地潜り蛙アジアじむぐりがえる
banded bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra)
- 十字目毒雨蛙じゅうじめどくあまがえる
mission golden-eyed tree frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix); Amazon milk frog; blue milk frog
- 土蛙つちがえる
wrinkled frog (Rana rugosa)
- 地潜蛙じむぐりがえる
narrow-mouthed toad (Kaloula borealis)
- 奄美鼻先蛙あまみはなさきがえる
Amami tip-nosed frog (Odorrana amamiensis)
- 子守蛙こもりがえる
Surinam toad (Pipa pipa); pipa
- 家雨蛙いえあまがえる
Australian green tree frog (Litoria caerulea); green tree frog; White's tree frog; dumpy tree frog
- 山赤蛙やまあかがえる
montane brown frog (Rana ornativentris); Nikkō frog
Study
Etymology
蛙 combines 虫 (insect/creature) with 圭, which likely contributes the sound. The character has long been used for frogs.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 虫 is a creature, and the right side 圭 looks like two stacked earth mounds. Picture a frog sitting on a mound of earth in a rice paddy.
Reading mnemonic
For ア, imagine a frog letting out a loud 'ah!' croak: ah -> ア, and the frog's mouth opens wide.