鹿
Meanings
1
deer; cervid
General term for deer; often refers specifically to the sika deer (Cervus nippon) native to Japan.
There are many deer in Nara Park.
A deer jumped out onto the road.
Usage patterns
- 〈場所〉に鹿が出るfor deer to appear in a place
At night, deer sometimes appear on the mountain road.
- 鹿にせんべいをやるto feed deer rice crackers
I fed rice crackers to the deer at Nara Park.
- 鹿を狩るto hunt deer
Hunting deer is permitted in that region.
Expressions
- 紅葉に鹿perfect match; match made in heaven; great coupling
- 秋の鹿は笛に寄るpeople may bring about their own downfall through love; one's weak points are easily exploited
- 鹿を追う者は山を見ずzeal blinds one to the bigger picture