鮫
shark
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- さめ
- みずち
Meaning
鮫 centers on the shark, a large predatory fish. The meaning is straightforward and specific to this animal.
Most common words using 鮫
20 of 66- 鮫さめ
shark
- 蝶鮫ちょうざめ
sturgeon (esp. the green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris)
- 小判鮫こばんざめ
remora (any fish of family Echeneidae); suckerfish; sharksucker
- 頬白鮫ほおじろざめ
great white shark; white pointer (Carcharodon carcharias)
- アメリカ七日鮫アメリカなぬかざめ
swellshark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum, species of catshark in the Eastern Pacific)
- インド撞木鮫インドしゅもくざめ
winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii, species of Indo-West Pacific hammerhead shark)
- カリフォルニア猫鮫カリフォルニアねこざめ
horn shark (Heterodontus francisci, bullhead shark from the Eastern Pacific); Californian bullhead shark
- ダウリア蝶鮫ダウリアちょうざめ
kaluga (Huso dauricus); river beluga
- ペレス目白鮫ペレスめじろざめ
Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezii, species of requiem shark found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil)
- 七日鮫なぬかざめ
blotchy swell shark (Cephaloscyllium umbratile)
- 井守鮫いもりざめ
salamander shark (Parmaturus pilosus)
- 坂田鮫さかたざめ
yellow guitarfish (Rhinobatos schlegelii)
- 墨付鮫すみつきざめ
whitecheek shark (Carcharhinus dussumieri)
- 変わり蝶鮫かわりちょうざめ
sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)
- 大目白鮫おおめじろざめ
bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
- 大蝶鮫おおちょうざめ
beluga (species of sturgeon, Huso huso)
- 子守鮫こもりざめ
nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum)
- 小蝶鮫こちょうざめ
sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)
- 小鮫鶲こさめびたき
Asian brown flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)
- 尾長鮫おながざめ
thresher shark (esp. the common thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus)
Study
Etymology
鮫 combines 魚 (fish) with 交, which likely contributes the sound. The character was created to specifically denote a shark.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is a fish 魚, and the right side 交 looks like a cross or intersection. Imagine a shark's fin cutting through the water like a crossing blade: a fish with a crossing fin is a shark.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, picture a shark swimming in a cove: cove -> コウ, and the shark glides through the cove's water.