オニヤンマ

お

に

や

ん

ま

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

Siebold's dragonfly; jumbo dragonfly

usually written using kana alone

A large, striking dragonfly native to Japan and East Asia. Often seen near streams and rivers in summer.

夏なつになると、川かわの近ちかくでオニヤンマをよく見みかける。

In summer, I often see jumbo dragonflies near the river.

オニヤンマは日本にほん最さい大だいのトンボの一いっ種しゅだ。

The jumbo dragonfly is one of the largest dragonflies in Japan.

Kanji

鬼ghost, devil
蜻dragonfly
蜓dragonfly, millipede, lizard
馬horse
大large, big
頭head, counter for large animals

Related words

トンボ
General term for dragonfly; オニヤンマ is a specific large species.
ギンヤンマ
Another large dragonfly species, but with a green thorax and blue abdomen, unlike the black-and-yellow オニヤンマ.

Written forms

オニヤンマUsage100%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this insect name; usually written in kana.
鬼蜻蜓おにやんま
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.
馬大頭おにやんま
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.

Etymology

The name likely combines 鬼 (oni, 'ogre') with やんま (yanma, a word for large dragonflies), referring to its formidable size and appearance. The exact origin of やんま is uncertain.