ほくろ

ほ

く

ろ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

mole; beauty mark

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a dark spot on the skin, either a congenital mole or a beauty mark. The medical term 'lentigo' is a more technical synonym.

彼かの女じょは頬ほほに小ちいさな

ほくろ

が

ある

。

She has a small mole on her cheek.

そのほくろは昔むかしからある。

That mole has been there for a long time.

Usage patterns

〈場所ばしょ〉〉に黒子ほくろがあるto have a mole on (a part of the body)
彼かの女じょは頬ほおに黒子ほくろがある。
She has a mole on her cheek.
黒子ほくろができるfor a mole to form/appear
最さい近きん、肩かたに新あたらしい黒子ほくろができた。
A new mole has recently appeared on my shoulder.
黒子ほくろを取とるto remove a mole
レーザーで黒子ほくろを取とった。
I had a mole removed with a laser.

Kanji

黒black
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM

Related words

字あざN1
ほくろ is a small dark mole or beauty mark, while あざ refers to a larger discolored patch of skin such as a birthmark or bruise.
裏うら方かた
黒子 is specifically a stagehand dressed in black in traditional Japanese theater, while 裏方 covers any kind of offstage support role more broadly.

Don't confuse with

黒くろ子ご
Written with the same kanji, ほくろ means a skin mole while 黒子 read くろこ refers to a black-clad stage assistant in kabuki/puppet theater.
黒くろ幕まく
黒子 is a stagehand dressed in black who works visibly (if unobtrusively) on stage, while 黒幕 is a person who secretly controls events without appearing at all.

Word family

つけぼくろ
fake beauty mark
泣なき黒子ぼくろ
mole under the eye
ヤエヤマヒトツボクロ
tall shield orchid

Written forms

ほくろUsage50%
Standard hiragana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
ホクロUsage32%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
黒子ほくろUsage18%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the word is usually written in kana.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 黒子 literally means 'black child', but this is likely an ateji assignment based on meaning rather than a historical derivation.