tongue, reed, clapper

About this kanji

The kanji 舌 (した) primarily means "tongue," but it can also refer to a "reed" or a "clapper." It is often used in nouns rather than as a verb. Common compounds include 猫舌 (ねこじた), which describes someone who dislikes very hot food or drink—literally, "cat tongue"—and 舌戦 (ぜっせん), meaning a "war of words," or a verbal argument. Another interesting compound is 毒舌 (どくぜつ), which refers to a "wicked tongue" and suggests a person who speaks harshly. A usage note is that while 舌 primarily focuses on the physical tongue, it can also express various aspects of communication and expression.

Example sentences

• 彼は舌を巻いて驚いた。

  He was astonished and stuck out his tongue.

Meanings across languages

English

tongue, reed, clapper

Tiếng Việt

lưỡi

日本語

舌

한국어

혀

中文

舌

id

lidah

th

ลิ้น

es

lengua

fr

langue

de

Zunge

pt

língua

Common compounds

• 猫舌ねこじたdislike of very hot food or drink, inability to take hot food, cat tongue
• 舌戦ぜっせんwar of words
• 毒舌どくぜつwicked tongue, sharp tongue, abusive language
• 弁舌べんぜつspeech, eloquence, manner of speaking
• 饒舌じょうぜつtalkativeness, garrulity, loquacity
• 筆舌ひつぜつwritten and spoken words, description
• 二枚舌にまいじたdouble-dealing, duplicity, equivocation
• 舌鼓したつづみsmacking one's lips (over food)