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オニヤンマ (おにやんま) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

オニヤンマ

お

に

や

ん

ま

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

Siebold's dragonfly; jumbo dragonfly

usually written using kana alone

A large, striking dragonfly native to Japan and East Asia. Often seen near streams and rivers in summer.

夏なつになると、川かわの近ちかくでオニヤンマをよく見みかける。
In summer, I often see jumbo dragonflies near the river.
オニヤンマは日本にほん

最さい

大だい

の

トンボ

の

一いっ

種しゅ

だ

。

The jumbo dragonfly is one of the largest dragonflies in Japan.

Written forms

オニヤンマUsage100%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this insect name; usually written in kana.
鬼蜻蜓おにやんま
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.
馬大頭おにやんま
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in modern writing.

Kanji

鬼ghost, devil
蜻dragonfly
蜓dragonfly, millipede, lizard
馬horse
大large, big
頭head, counter for large animals

Similar words

トンボ
General term for dragonfly; オニヤンマ is a specific large species.
ギンヤンマ
Another large dragonfly species, but with a green thorax and blue abdomen, unlike the black-and-yellow オニヤンマ.

Etymology

The name likely combines 鬼 (oni, 'ogre') with やんま (yanma, a word for large dragonflies), referring to its formidable size and appearance. The exact origin of やんま is uncertain.