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背鰭 (せびれ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

背せ鰭びれ

せ

び

れ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

dorsal fin

Refers to the fin on the back of fish and some marine mammals.

サメの背せ鰭びれが水すい面めんから出でている。
The shark's dorsal fin is sticking out of the water.
この魚さかなは背せびれが長ながくて美うつくしい。
This fish has a long, beautiful dorsal fin.

Written forms

背せ鰭びれUsage47%
Standard kanji spelling for 'dorsal fin'.
背せびれUsage51%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, common in everyday writing.
せびれUsage2%
Kana spelling, used when the kanji 鰭 is considered difficult or in children's materials.

Kanji

背

stature, height, back

鰭fin

Similar words

尾お鰭びれ
尾鰭 means 'tail fin' or 'caudal fin', while 背鰭 specifically refers to the dorsal fin on the back.
胸むな鰭びれ
胸鰭 means 'pectoral fin', located on the sides of the fish, unlike the dorsal fin on the back.

Etymology

Compound of 背 (se, 'back') and 鰭 (hire, 'fin'), with rendaku voicing of hire to bire.