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Kotomora

蟹

crab

StatusJinmeiyōFrequencyTop 5,000Strokes19

Readings

On'yomi

  • カイ

Kun'yomi

  • かに

Meaning

蟹 centers on the crab as an animal, with no major abstract extensions beyond the literal creature.

Most common words using 蟹

20 of 68
  • 蟹かに
    N1

    crab

  • 兜蟹かぶとがに

    horseshoe crab

  • タラバ蟹たらばがに

    red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

  • ずわい蟹ずわいがに

    snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio); queen crab

  • 蟹工船かにこうせん

    crab-canning boat

  • 沢蟹さわがに

    Japanese freshwater crab (Geothelphusa dehaani)

  • アメリカ銀杏蟹アメリカいちょうがに

    Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister)

  • 一角蜘蛛蟹いっかくくもがに

    fire crab (Pyromaia tuberculata)

  • 上海蟹シャンハイがに

    Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

  • 中国藻屑蟹ちゅうごくもくずがに

    Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

  • 南米搗蟹みなみこめつきがに

    soldier crab (Mictyris brevidactylus)

  • 地中海緑蟹ちちゅうかいみどりがに

    Mediterranean green crab (Carcinus aestuarii)

  • 埋扇蟹うもれおうぎがに

    Zosimus aeneus (species of poisonous crab)

  • 大和長蟹やまとおさがに

    Japanese mud crab (Macrophthalmus japonicus)

  • 尖閣沢蟹せんかくさわがに

    Geothelphusa shokitai (crab species)

  • 岩蟹いわがに

    striped shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes)

  • 巨蟹宮きょかいきゅう

    Cancer (4th zodiacal sign); the Crab

  • 平家蟹へいけがに

    Heike crab

  • 平爪蟹ひらつめがに

    swimming crab (Ovalipes punctatus); sand crab

  • 弁慶蟹べんけいがに

    Sesarmops intermedium (species of grapsoid crab)

Explore all words using 蟹 →

Study

Etymology

蟹 combines 虫 (insect/creature) with 解, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to the crab's sideways movement or shell-shedding idea, though the exact semantic link is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The top 解 suggests something coming apart or being solved, and the bottom 虫 is a creature. Picture a crab that can solve the puzzle of escaping its shell, or one that moves sideways as if dismantling its own path.

Reading mnemonic

For カイ, imagine a crab scuttling sideways along a dock, and someone shouts 'Kai!' as it nips at their toe: Kai -> カイ.