かつら

also: かずら

か

つ

ら

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

wig; hairpiece; toupee

usually written using kana alone

General term for a wig or hairpiece, including full wigs and partial pieces like toupees.

舞ぶ台たいでかつらをかぶる。
I wear a wig on stage.
彼かれは薄うす毛げを隠かくすためにカツラをつけている。
He wears a toupee to hide his thinning hair.

Usage patterns

かつらをかぶるto wear a wig
彼かれは薄うす毛げを隠かくすためにかつらをかぶっている。
He wears a wig to hide his thinning hair.
かつらを外はずすto take off a wig
家いえに帰かえるとすぐにかつらを外はずした。
As soon as she got home, she took off her wig.
かつらがずれるfor a wig to slip out of place
風かぜでかつらがずれてしまった。
The wind made his wig slip out of place.

Kanji

鬘wig, hair piece

Related words

ウィッグ
ウィッグ is a modern loanword often used for fashion or costume wigs, while かつら is the native Japanese term that can also sound more traditional or medical.
ヘアピース
ヘアピース usually refers to a partial hairpiece, whereas かつら can mean either a full wig or a partial one.

Counted with

個こN5
counter for small objects; counter for pieces · counter for military units · individual; one person · counter for years of age difference; counter for school years

Written forms

かつらUsage35%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
カツラUsage40%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is sometimes used for emphasis or in commercial contexts.
鬘Usage25%
- かつら
  Kanji form is rare and mainly literary; the word is usually written in kana.
- かずら
かずら
Alternate reading; less common than かつら.

Etymology

Modern かつら continues older かづら, originally a head ornament made from vines, flowers, or foliage. The name later extended to added hair and then a complete wig.