カラス
Meanings
1
crow; raven
usually written using kana alone
General term for crows and ravens (Corvus spp.). In everyday Japanese, カラス usually refers to the large-billed crow or carrion crow.
In the morning, a crow was cawing loudly.
A crow was rummaging through the trash in the park.
Usage patterns
- カラスが鳴くa crow cries/calls
The crows were cawing from early morning.
- カラスがごみを荒らすcrows scatter/rummage through the garbage
On collection morning, crows were rummaging through the garbage.
- カラスの群れa flock of crows
A flock of crows had gathered in the park's trees.
Expressions
- 烏の足跡crow's feet (wrinkles)
- 闇夜に烏something indistinct; a crow in a pitch-black night
- 闇夜の烏something indistinct; hard to tell apart
- 今泣いた烏がもう笑うa child's emotions change easily; the bird that cried now laughs
- 権兵衛が種蒔きゃ烏がほじくるspoiling someone's work; useless effort; labouring in vain