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虎 (とら, tora) Japanese meaning: tiger | Kotomora

虎とら

と

ら

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

tiger

The animal Panthera tigris. Used in both literal and figurative contexts.

動どう物ぶつ園えんで虎とらを見みた。
I saw a tiger at the zoo.

2

drunkard; drunk

Colloquial term for a heavy drinker or someone who is drunk, often used humorously or derogatorily.

彼かれは酒さけを飲のむとすぐ虎とらになる。
He quickly turns into a drunk when he drinks.

Usage patterns

虎とらになるto get very drunk
彼かれはビールを何なん本ぼんも飲のんで虎とらになった。
He drank several beers and got completely drunk.

Expressions· 16

虎とらの巻まきbook of secrets; inside information; trade secrets · study guide; crib; answer key
虎とらの子こtiger cub · one's treasure; precious savings
虎とらに翼つばさmaking the strong even stronger; adding power to power
虎とらの尾おtiger's tail · gooseneck loosestrife · Asplenium incisum (spleenwort)
張はり子この虎とらpapier-mâché tiger toy · paper tiger; all bark and no bite

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ハナトラノオobedient plant; false dragonhead
市いちに虎とらありpeople will believe a falsehood if many repeat it; argumentum ad populum
市いちに虎とらを放はなつlet a fox into the henhouse; do something dangerous; let loose a tiger in the marketplace
虎とらの尾おを踏ふむplay with fire; take a great risk; step on a tiger's tail

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Kanji

虎tiger, drunkard

Related words

酔よっ払ぱらいN3sense 2
酔っ払い is the plain, widely used word for a drunk person, while 虎 is a colloquial slang term for the same thing, often implying a loud or troublesome drunk.
タイガー
虎 is the native Japanese word for tiger used in traditional, literary, and idiomatic contexts, while タイガー is the English loanword favored in modern contexts like team or product names.

Don't confuse with

寅とら sense 1
寅 shares the reading とら but refers specifically to the tiger as the third sign of the Chinese zodiac, whereas 虎 is the ordinary word for the animal itself.
ジャガー
ジャガー (jaguar) is smaller and has rosette-patterned fur, whereas 虎 (tiger) is larger and has distinctive stripes, so learners sometimes mix up the two big cats.

Counted with

頭とうN3
counter for large animals; head of livestock; counter for collected insects or certain headgear

Word family· 30

大おお虎とら
big tiger; large tiger · heavy drinker; staggering drunkard
小こ虎とら
small tiger · light drinker; occasional drinker
虎とら冠かんむり
kanji 'tiger' radical (虍)
虎とら巻かん
crib notes; cheat sheet; study guide

Written forms

虎とらUsage54%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
トラUsage38%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling commonly used in biological contexts or for emphasis.
とらUsage8%

Etymology

The kanji 虎 is a pictograph of a tiger. The colloquial sense 'drunkard' likely derives from the image of a fierce, unruly tiger.

虎とらを野のに放はなつ

let loose a tiger in the field; unleash something dangerous

虎とら斑ふ

tiger stripes; brindle; brindled coloring

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虎とら柄がら
tiger pattern; striped like a tiger
虎とら毛げ
tiger stripes; brindle; brindled coloring
トラガ
Chelonomorpha japona (a species of owlet moth)
虎とら豆まめ
tiger bean; tiger's eye bean
虎とら頭がしら
kanji 'tiger' radical (⻁)

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