フグ

also: ふく · ふくべ · かとん

フ

グ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

puffer fish; blowfish; fugu

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the fish, especially as a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. Often associated with the potential poison (tetrodotoxin) and the need for licensed preparation.

冬ふゆになるとフグ鍋なべが食たべたくなる。
When winter comes, I crave fugu hot pot.
フグは調ちょう理り免めん許きょがないとさばけない。
You can't prepare fugu without a cooking license.

See all 34 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

フグに当あたるto get poisoned from eating fugu
彼かれはフグに当あたって病びょう院いんに運はこばれた。
He got fugu poisoning and was taken to the hospital.
フグを捌さばくto fillet/prepare fugu (a task requiring special skill and licensing)
資し格かくを持もつ料りょう理り人にんだけがフグを捌さばくことができる。
Only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare fugu.
フグ刺さしを注ちゅう文もんするto order thinly sliced fugu sashimi
せっかくだからフグ刺さしを注ちゅう文もんしよう。
Since we're here, let's order some fugu sashimi.

Kanji

河river
豚pork, pig
鰒abalone, puffer fish

Related words

鉄てっ砲ぽうN2
鉄砲 is an old slang nickname for フグ (puffer fish) referencing its deadly poison, while フグ is the standard, neutral name.

Counted with

尾び
Chinese "Tail" constellation · counter for fish, shrimp, etc.

Word family· 18

ホシフグ
starry toado; starry pufferfish
ナシフグ
pear puffer; Takifugu vermicularis
クサビフグ
slender sunfish; oblong sunfish
マフグ
purple puffer; Takifugu porphyreus
ハコフグ
bluespotted boxfish (Ostracion immaculatus) · boxfish; trunkfish

Show 5 more

ミドリフグ
green spotted puffer
シマフグ
yellowfin puffer; Takifugu xanthopterus
クサフグ
grass puffer; Takifugu niphobles
トラフグ
Japanese pufferfish; tiger puffer
ケショウフグ
map puffer; Arothron mappa

See all 18 in Explore →

Written forms

フグUsage42%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in everyday use, especially in menus and casual writing.
ふぐUsage51%
Hiragana spelling is also very common; the word is usually written in kana.
河豚Usage6%
- ふぐ
  Kanji form used in formal or literary contexts, but less common than kana.
- かとん
  rarely-used kana form
  Rarely used reading for the kanji form 河豚.
- ふく
  out-dated reading
- ふくべ
  out-dated reading
フクUsage<1%
鰒Usage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
- ふぐ
  Rarely used kanji form.
- ふく
  out-dated reading
- ふくべ
  out-dated reading
ふく
out-dated reading
Obsolete reading; rarely encountered.
ふくべ
out-dated reading
Obsolete reading; rarely encountered.
かとん
rarely-used kana form

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The word may be related to the verb ふく (to blow) because the fish inflates its body, but this is speculative.