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ヒキガエル (ひきがえる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ヒキガエル

also: がまがえる · がま

ひ

き

が

え

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

toad; Japanese toad

usually written using kana alone

Refers to toads, especially the Japanese toad (Bufo japonicus). In everyday language, ヒキガエル or ガマガエル are common. The word is usually written in kana.

庭にわで大おおきなヒキガエルを見みつけた。
I found a big toad in the garden.
ガマガエルはガマの油あぶらで

知し

ら

れ

て

いる

。

Toads are known for toad oil.

Written forms

ヒキガエルUsage64%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in biological contexts and everyday use; the word is usually written in kana.
蟇Usage18%
- ひきがえる
  Single kanji for toad; very rare and may be confused with other readings.
- ひき
- かま
  out-dated reading
- がま
- がまがえる
蝦蟇Usage6%
- がま
  Kanji spelling for がま (toad); rare and literary.
- がまがえる
- かま
  out-dated reading
蟾蜍ひきがえるUsage5%
ガマガエルUsage3%
kana-only spelling
Alternate katakana spelling for the reading がまがえる, also used.
ひきがえるUsage2%
Hiragana spelling, also common.
がまがえるUsage1%
Hiragana spelling for the reading がまがえる.
かまUsage1%
out-dated reading
蟇蛙ひきがえる
Kanji spelling using 蟇 (toad) and 蛙 (frog); rarely used in modern writing.
がま
ひき
蝦蟆
- かま
  out-dated reading
- がま
蟆ひき
蟾ひき

Kanji

蟇toad
蝦shrimp, prawn, lobster
蟾toad
蜍

Similar words

カエル
カエル is the general word for frog, while ヒキガエル specifically refers to toads, which are a type of frog with dry, warty skin.
アマガエル
アマガエル is a tree frog, a different species from the toad.

Etymology

The word ひきがえる is a compound of ひき (蟾, toad) and かえる (蛙, frog). The exact origin of ひき is uncertain, but it may be related to the toad's appearance or sound. The alternate reading がまがえる uses がま (蝦蟇), an old word for toad.

toad

蟆toad

蛙frog