羽わ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

counter for birds; counter for rabbits

Used to count birds and rabbits. The reading changes to ば or ぱ depending on the preceding number (e.g., 一羽いちわ, 三羽さんば, 六羽ろっぱ).

庭にわに二に羽わのすずめがいる。
There are two sparrows in the garden.
彼かれは白しろいウサギを三さん羽ば飼かっている。
He keeps three white rabbits.

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉羽わcounter attached after a number to count birds (note the sound change with certain numbers, e.g. 三羽さんば)
公こう園えんに鳩はとが三さん羽ばいた。
There were three pigeons in the park.
〈数かず〉羽わの兎うさぎused to count rabbits, even though 羽 is normally for birds
うちでは兎うさぎを二に羽わ飼かっています。
We keep two rabbits at home.

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつnumbers and countersN5

Kanji

羽feathers, counter for birds, rabbits

Related words

匹ひきN3
匹 is the general counter for small animals, but 羽 is the conventional counter for birds (and often rabbits).
頭とうN3
羽 counts birds and, by convention, rabbits, whereas 頭 counts large mammals regardless of whether they fly.

Don't confuse with

匹ひきN3
羽 counts birds and rabbits, while 匹 counts most other small animals such as cats, dogs, and fish.
頭とうN3
羽 counts birds and rabbits, whereas 頭 counts large animals such as cattle, horses, and elephants.
把わ
把 and 羽 share the reading わ but count completely different things: 把 counts bundles of long thin objects, while 羽 counts birds or rabbits.

Written forms

羽Usage99%
- わ
  Standard kanji spelling for the counter for birds and rabbits.
- ば
- ぱ
わUsage1%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the counter is used with numerals.
ばUsage<1%
ぱUsage<1%

Etymology

Originally meaning 'feather' or 'wing', this kanji was extended to count birds and later rabbits, possibly due to the similarity of rabbit ears to wings or a historical euphemism.