nest, rookery, hive, cobweb
Also: den
On'yomi (音読み)
- ソウ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- す
- す.くう
About this kanji
The kanji「巣」primarily means "nest," and it describes a place where animals, like birds or insects, build their homes. It is commonly used as a noun, but it can also function in verbs, like "to leave the nest" (巣立つ). Some representative compounds include 古巣 (ふるす), meaning "old haunts"; 卵巣 (らんそう), which refers to "ovary"; and 巣箱 (すばこ), meaning "birdhouse." When using this kanji, remember that it often conveys a sense of home and safety, so it can evoke warm feelings associated with family or beginnings.
Example sentences
鳥が巣を作っている。
The bird is building a nest.
Meanings across languages
- English
- nest, rookery, hive, cobweb, den
- Tiếng Việt
- tổ
- 日本語
- 巣
- 한국어
- 둥지
- 中文
- 巢
- id
- sarang, tempat bersarang, penyimpanan
- th
- รัง, รังนก, รังผึ้ง
- es
- nido, nido de aves, colmena
- fr
- nid, colonies, ruche
- de
- Nest, Rookery, Bienenstock
- pt
- ninho, colônias, colmeia
Common compounds
- 古巣old haunts, former homes
- 卵巣ovary
- 営巣building a nest
- 巣立つto leave the nest, to go out into the world, to become independent (of one's parents)
- 巣箱birdhouse, nest box, bird box
- 病巣focus, nidus, lesion
- 巣立ちleaving the nest, going out into the world, becoming independent
- 空き巣empty nest, empty house, empty home
Words using this kanji
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.