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カイツブリ (kaitsuburi) Japanese meaning: little grebe | Kotomora

カイツブリ

か

い

つ

ぶ

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

Specifically Tachybaptus ruficollis, a small waterbird common in Japan.

池いけでカイツブリが泳およいでいる。

A little grebe is swimming in the pond.

2

grebe (any species)

usually written using kana alone

General term for any bird in the family Podicipedidae.

カイツブリ科かの鳥とりは潜せん水すいが得とく意いだ。
Birds of the grebe family are good at diving.

Kanji

鸊
鷉

Written forms

カイツブリUsage100%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for this bird name; usually written in kana.
鸊鷉かいつぶり
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the word is usually written in kana.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 鸊鷉 are rarely used and likely chosen for their meaning rather than phonetic reasons.