whale
On'yomi (音読み)
- ゲイ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- くじら
About this kanji
The kanji 鯨 means "whale" and is used mainly as a noun. Its reading in kun'yomi is くじら, and in on'yomi, it is ゲイ. You will often see it in compounds like 捕鯨 (ほげい), which means "whaling," and 鯨肉 (げいにく), referring to "whale meat." Another interesting compound is 鯨飲 (げいいん), meaning "drinking hard," which reflects a cultural usage. Remember that 鯨 can refer to the animal itself in nature or be part of expressions concerning its consumption or related activities, highlighting its importance in some cultures.
Example sentences
鯨は海で泳いでいる。
Whales swim in the sea.
Meanings across languages
- English
- whale
- Tiếng Việt
- cá voi
- 日本語
- 鯨
- 한국어
- 고래
- 中文
- 鲸鱼
- id
- paus
- th
- วาฬ
- es
- ballena
- fr
- baleine
- de
- Wal
- pt
- baleia
Common compounds
- 捕鯨ほげいwhaling, whale hunting, whale fishing
- 鯨肉げいにくwhale meat
- 鯨飲げいいんdrinking hard, drinking like a fish
- 鯨油げいゆwhale oil
- 白鯨しろくじらwhite whale, whiskers from a gray whale (used in crafts)
- 鯨波げいはraging waves, battle cry, war cry
- 鯨尺くじらじゃくlong foot (approx. 37.9cm)
- 鯨座くじらざCetus (constellation), the Whale
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