蟹
crab
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)
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.