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かつら Japanese meaning | Kotomora

かつら

also: かずら

か

つ

ら

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

wig; hairpiece; toupee

usually written using kana alone

General term for a wig or hairpiece, including full wigs and partial pieces like toupees.

舞ぶ台たいでかつらをかぶる。
I wear a wig on stage.
彼かれは薄うす毛げを

隠かく

す

ため

に

カツラ

を

つけ

て

いる

。

He wears a toupee to hide his thinning hair.

Written forms

かつらUsage35%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
カツラUsage40%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is sometimes used for emphasis or in commercial contexts.
鬘Usage25%
- かつら
  Kanji form is rare and mainly literary; the word is usually written in kana.
- かずら
かずら
Alternate reading; less common than かつら.

Kanji

鬘wig, hair piece

Similar words

ウィッグ
Loanword from English 'wig'; often used for fashion or costume wigs, while かつら is the native Japanese term and can sound more traditional or medical.
ヘアピース
Loanword for 'hairpiece'; more specific to partial hair additions, whereas かつら can refer to full wigs as well.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the verb 被る (かぶる, 'to put on the head'). The kanji 鬘 is a 国字 (kokuji) created in Japan.