穴あな

noun

hole; opening; pit; cavity

Covers ordinary physical holes: openings through something, orifices, perforations, and hollow places or pits in the ground.

• 壁かべに小ちいさな穴あながあいている。

  There is a small hole in the wall.

• 子こどもたちは砂すな場ばに深ふかい穴あなを掘ほった。

  The children dug a deep hole in the sandbox.

• 鼻はなの穴あなに指ゆびを入いれないで。

  Don't put your finger in your nostril.

noun

burrow; den; lair

Used for an animal's hole or dwelling, such as a burrow in the ground.

• ウサギが穴あなから顔かおを出だした。

  A rabbit poked its head out of its burrow.

noun

deficit; shortage; financial hole; loss

Figurative use for a deficit or loss, especially money that must somehow be made up; common in phrases like 穴を埋める and 穴があく.

• 今こん月げつの赤あか字じで家か計けいに穴あながあいた。

  This month's deficit left a hole in the household budget.

• 会かい社しゃは損そん失しつの穴あなを埋うめる必ひつ要ようがある。

  The company needs to cover the loss.

noun

gap left by someone; vacancy; opening

Refers to the absence left when a person, role, or team member is missing; often used with 埋める.

• 退たい職しょくした先せん輩ぱいの穴あなを埋うめるのは大たい変へんだ。

  It is hard to fill the gap left by the senior colleague who retired.

noun

flaw; weak point; loophole

Figurative use for a weakness in a plan, argument, theory, system, or law.

• その計けい画かくには大おおきな穴あながある。

  There is a major flaw in that plan.

• 彼かれは法ほう律りつの穴あなを利り用ようした。

  He took advantage of a loophole in the law.

noun

hidden gem; little-known good spot; well-kept secret

Usually encountered in the compound 穴場, meaning a good place or opportunity that not many people know about.

See also: 穴場

• この海かい岸がんは人ひとが少すくなくて、夏なつでも穴あな場ばだ。

  This beach is a hidden gem with few people even in summer.

noun

long shot; dark horse; upset with a large payoff

Betting and competition use: an unlikely winner or outcome that would pay well; common in expressions such as 穴を狙う and 大穴.

• 競けい馬ばでは、彼かれはいつも穴あなを狙ねらう。

  In horse racing, he always goes for long shots.

noun

partitioned theatre box; traditional floor-seating box

Theatre jargon for a partitioned box-type seating area in a traditional Japanese theatre; related to 桝.

See also: 升

• 歌か舞ぶ伎きなどの劇げき場じょう用よう語ごで、「穴あな」は仕し切きられた桝ます席せきを指さす。

  In theatre jargon for kabuki and similar settings, 穴 refers to a partitioned box seat.

noun

hiding place; hideout

Archaic use for a hiding place or hideout; modern Japanese normally uses words such as 隠れ家 or 隠れ場所.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「穴あな」が隠かくれ家がの意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In old writing, 穴 is sometimes used to mean a hideout.