ひげ

ひ

げ

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

facial hair; moustache; beard; whiskers

usually written using kana alone

General term for facial hair. In careful usage, 髭 for moustache, 鬚 for beard, 髯 for cheek whiskers, but ひげ covers all.

See also: 口ひげ · あごひげ · 頬髭

彼かれはひげを伸のばしている。
He is growing a beard.
口くちひげを整ととのえる。
I trim my moustache.

2

animal whiskers; feelers; tuft

usually written using kana alone

Used for whiskers of cats, mice, etc., insect feelers, or a tuft of hair on an animal's chin.

猫ねこのひげは敏びん感かんだ。
A cat's whiskers are sensitive.

3

candlestick shadow

usually written using kana alonefinance

Finance term for the thin lines (shadows) on a candlestick chart; usually written in katakana as ヒゲ.

ローソク足あしのヒゲが長ながいと、値ね動うごきが激はげしかったことを示しめす。
A long shadow on a candlestick indicates volatile price movement.

See all 105 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

髭ひげを生はやすto grow a beard/moustache
彼かれは最さい近きん髭ひげを生はやし始はじめた。
He recently started growing a beard.
髭ひげを剃そるto shave one's beard/moustache
毎まい朝あさ、髭ひげを剃そってから出しゅっ勤きんする。
I shave my beard every morning before going to work.
髭ひげを蓄たくわえるto keep/wear a beard (formal)
その俳はい優ゆうは立りっ派ぱな髭ひげを蓄たくわえている。
The actor wears an impressive beard.
髭ひげが伸のびるfor a beard/moustache to grow long
しばらく剃そらなかったので髭ひげが伸のびてしまった。
I hadn't shaved for a while, so my beard grew long.

Expressions

お髭ひげの塵ちりを取とるflatter a superior; curry favor with a higher-up
御お髭ひげの塵ちりを払はらうflatter a superior; suck up to; curry favor

Kanji

髭beard, mustache
鬚beard, mustache
髯beard, mustache

Related words

口くちひげ sense 1
口ひげ refers specifically to a moustache, while 髭 is the general term covering any kind of facial hair.
あごひげ sense 1
顎髭 specifically means a beard on the chin, whereas 髭 is the broad word for facial hair of any kind.
頬ほお髭ひげ sense 1
頬髭 means sideburns or cheek whiskers specifically, while 髭 covers facial hair in general.

Don't confuse with

髪かみN5sense 1
髪 refers to hair on the head, while 髭 refers only to facial (or animal) hair, so the two are easy to mix up when talking about 'hair' in general.

Counted with

本ほんN5
Used for long, thin things like hair or beards; it is more conventional than 個 for this word.

Word family· 24

あごひげ
beard (esp. on the chin); goatee
髭ひげ面づら
bearded face; unshaven face; hairy face
ちょび髭ひげ
small mustache; short mustache
白しろ髭ひげ
grey moustache; gray mustache · white beard
付つけ髭ひげ
false moustache; fake moustache

Show 10 more

大おお髭ひげ
large moustache; long and thick moustache
虎とら髭ひげ
bristly beard; bristly mustache · tiger whiskers
鎌かま髭ひげ
sickle-shaped moustache
頬ほお髭ひげ
sideburns; whiskers
ヒゲワシ
bearded vulture; lammergeier
八はち字じ髭ひげ
finely trimmed moustache; handlebar moustache
クチヒゲザル
mustached monkey; moustached guenon
天てん神じん髭ひげ
drooping moustache; goatee
やぎひげ
goatee
シラヒゲソウ
Parnassia foliosa; white-beard grass

See all 24 in Explore →

Written forms

ひげUsage32%
Usually written in kana; the kanji 髭 is common but not required.
髭ひげUsage38%
General kanji for facial hair; in careful usage, 髭 for moustache, 鬚 for beard, 髯 for cheek whiskers.
ヒゲUsage23%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for the financial chart sense.
鬚ひげUsage4%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji specifically for a beard.
髯ひげUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji specifically for cheek whiskers.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain; possibly related to 髪 (kami, 'hair') or an ancient root for hair-like growths.