claw, nail, talon
On'yomi (音読み)
- ソウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- つめ
- つま-
About this kanji
The kanji 「爪」 (tsume) means "claw" or "nail," and it can refer to the nails on fingers and toes, as well as the claws of animals. It is typically used as a noun. You will encounter it in compounds like 「爪楊枝」 (tsumayouji), meaning "toothpick," which is used for cleaning teeth, and 「爪切り」 (tsumekiri), meaning "nail clippers," an essential tool for grooming. Another example is 「爪痕」 (tsumeato), which means "fingernail mark" and refers to the marks left by nails. When using this kanji, remember that it can signify both human nails and animal claws, depending on the context.
Example sentences
爪を切るのを忘れた。
I forgot to cut my nails.
Meanings across languages
- English
- claw, nail, talon
- Tiếng Việt
- móng
- 日本語
- 爪
- 한국어
- 발톱
- 中文
- 爪
- id
- cakar
- th
- กรงเล็บ
- es
- garra
- fr
- griffe
- de
- Klaue
- pt
- garra
Common compounds
- 爪楊枝toothpick
- 爪切りnail clippers
- 雁爪claw hoe, coal-trimming rake
- 爪痕fingernail mark, scratch, scars (e.g. of war)
- 琴爪koto plectrum
- 蹴爪spur (of a chicken, pheasant, etc.), cockspur, calcar
- 小爪lunula, half-moon (of a fingernail)
- 深爪cutting a fingernail (or toenail) to the quick, cutting a nail too close, deep-set nail
Words using this kanji
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