片かた翼よく

also: かたつばさ · へんよく

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

one wing; single wing

Refers to a single wing of a bird, aircraft, or metaphorical entity. Often used in contexts of asymmetry or incompleteness, such as a bird with only one wing or an aircraft missing a wing.

Kanji

片one-sided, leaf, sheet
翼wing, plane, flank

Opposites

両りょう翼よく
両翼 refers to both wings or flanks together, while 片翼 refers to only a single wing, the direct numerical opposite.

Don't confuse with

一いち翼よく
片翼 simply and literally means 'one wing' (of a pair), while 一翼 additionally carries the figurative sense of a role or share in a larger effort.

Written forms

片翼Usage100%
- かたよく
  Standard kanji spelling. The reading かたよく is the most common.
- かたつばさ
  Rare alternate reading using kun'yomi for both characters.
- へんよく
  Rare alternate reading using on'yomi for both characters.
へんよく
かたつばさ

Etymology

Compound of 片 (kata, 'one side') + 翼 (yoku, 'wing'). The reading かたよく is the standard combination of kun'yomi and on'yomi. Alternate readings かたつばさ and へんよく are less common.