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小魚 (こざかな) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

小こ魚ざかな

こ

ざ

か

な

Meanings

1

noun

small fish; fry

Refers to small fish, often young or tiny species, used as food or bait. The term is neutral and common in everyday contexts.

市いち場ばで新しん鮮せんな小こ魚ざかなを買かった。
I bought fresh small fish at the market.
小こ魚ざかなはから揚あげにするとおいしい。
Small fish are delicious when deep-fried.

Written forms

小こ魚ざかなUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
小こ肴ざかな
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.

Kanji

小little, small
魚

fish

肴accompaniment for drinks

Similar words

雑魚ざこ
雑魚 often implies a mix of small, low-value fish or, figuratively, insignificant people, while 小魚 is a neutral term for small fish.
稚ち魚ぎょ
稚魚 specifically means fry or very young fish, often in a biological or fisheries context, whereas 小魚 can refer to any small fish regardless of age.

Etymology

Compound of 小 (small) and 魚 (fish). The reading こざかな is a straightforward kun'yomi combination.