flounder; bastard halibut; olive flounder
Refers broadly to flatfish of the families Paralichthyidae and Bothidae, especially the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), a common food fish in Japan.
Tonight's dinner is flounder sashimi.
Slang metaphor derived from the fish's flat shape, implying a person who flattens themselves before superiors. Often used in workplace or hierarchical contexts.
ヒラメは海底に平たく張り付いている。
Flounders lie flat on the seabed.
That guy is a toady who sucks up to the boss.
カレイ (righteye flounder) is a similar flatfish but belongs to a different family; often distinguished by eye position and culinary use.
large flounder
Katakana spelling is standard for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also common and acceptable.
Kanji spelling using common characters; less frequent than kana.
Specialized kanji for flounder; rarely used.
Rarely used kanji form.
The word ひらめ likely derives from 平 (ひら, 'flat') + 目 (め, 'eye'), referring to the fish's flat body and both eyes on one side. The slang sense is a metaphorical extension based on the fish's flattened shape.