common octopus
Refers to the species Octopus vulgaris, the most familiar octopus in Japanese waters and cuisine.
The common octopus is often used in sashimi and takoyaki.
水族館で大きなマダコを見た。
I saw a large common octopus at the aquarium.
Generic term for octopus; マダコ specifically refers to the common octopus species.
Usually written in katakana; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji spelling; rarely used in practice.
Full kanji spelling; very rare.
Compound of 真 (ma, 'true') and 蛸 (tako, 'octopus'), literally 'true octopus', distinguishing it from other octopus species.