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Words Kanji Guides About

バッタ (ばった) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

バッタ

ば

っ

た

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

grasshopper; locust

usually written using kana alone

General term for grasshoppers and locusts (superfamily Acridoidea). In everyday use, バッタ typically refers to the common grasshopper.

子こ供どもたちが公こう園えんでバッタを捕つかまえた。
The children caught a grasshopper in the park.
バッタが草くさむらから飛とび出だした。
A grasshopper jumped out of the grass.

Written forms

バッタUsage72%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
ばったUsage23%
Hiragana spelling, also common.
蝗ばったUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare single-kanji form; not commonly used.

飛蝗ばったUsage2%

rarely-used kanji form

Rare kanji form; not commonly used.

蝗ばっ虫たUsage<1%

rarely-used kanji form

Rare kanji form; not commonly used.

Kanji

飛fly, skip (pages), scatter
蝗locust
虫insect, bug, temper

Similar words

イナゴ
イナゴ often refers specifically to locusts or rice-field grasshoppers, especially those that swarm, while バッタ is a broader term for grasshoppers.
キリギリス
キリギリス is a katydid or bush cricket, not a grasshopper; it has long antennae and a different body shape.

Etymology

The word is likely of mimetic or sound-symbolic origin, imitating the hopping sound or movement of the insect. The exact derivation is uncertain.