Usage patterns 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 に 熊くま が 出で る a bear appears in a place
Bears sometimes appear in these mountains.
熊くま に 襲おそ われる to be attacked by a bear
He was seriously injured after being attacked by a bear while hiking.
熊くま を 仕し 留と める to bring down / kill a bear (hunting)
The hunter took down a bear.
熊くま よけの 鈴すず a bell used to ward off bears
The hikers walked along ringing a bell to keep bears away.
Related words ヒグマ specifically means the brown bear found in Hokkaido, while 熊 is the general word for any bear.
ツキノワグマ specifically means the Asiatic black bear native to Honshu and Shikoku, while 熊 is the broader term covering all bears.
Word family· 59 raccoon; common raccoon
polar bear
polar bear
bear cub; small bear
rake; bamboo rake
Show 13 more Show fewer tardigrade; water bear
Asian black bear; moon bear
badger; Eurasian badger · anaguma castle (shogi opening)
sloth bear
mother bear
Berchemia racemosa; a species of buckthorn
large evergreen oak
panda
kuma bamboo grass; Veitch's bamboo
bear meat
Korean raspberry
common vervain; common verbena
Japanese carpenter bee · wasp; hornet; yellow jacket
See all 59 in Explore →
Written forms 熊くま Usage 39%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
クマ Usage 44%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in biological contexts or when emphasizing the animal; it is a kana-only form.
くま Usage 16%
Etymology The origin of くま is uncertain. It may be related to an ancient word for 'corner' or 'hidden place,' possibly referring to the bear's den or its elusive nature, but this is speculative.
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