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Kanji Detail for 爪 - "nail, claw"

爪

  • Meaning

    爪 means "nail, claw." Also associated with to scratch.

    1. Nail - Fingernails and toenails; claw-shaped objects.

    2. To scratch - To scrape with nails.

    3. Plectrum - A pick worn on the finger for playing koto.

    4. Protector - A metaphor for someone who guards and protects.

    5. To trim nails - To cut one's nails.

  • Words using 爪

    • 爪切り つめきり Listen nail clippers

  • Four-character idioms with 爪

    • 雪泥鴻爪 せつでいのこうそう Listen ephemeral nature of human deeds and events; evanescence of human affairs; leaving no trace

  • Tattoo check: 爪

    • Verified meaning: nail, claw
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read つめ)
    • Also carries these associations: to scratch

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 爪

    Surnames 爪(つめ)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    claw; nail; talon

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    claw, nail, talon; animal feet

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    foot of a bird or animal; paw; claws; talons

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    claws, nails, talons

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Nails of hands and feet. Birds and beasts use claws to augment their ferocity, hence often speaking of claws. As in 龍爪 (dragon claw), 虎爪 (tiger claw). | 爪牙 (claws and fangs). Refers to guards and protectors. Seen in (Book of Odes).

  • Onyomi

    tip

    soh(ソウ) ソウ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    tsuma(つま) つま

    tsume(つめ) つめ

  • Strokes

    tip

    4 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    爪 爫 (tsume・tsumekammuri・tsumegashira・sonyo・notsu)

  • Related Keywords

    nail claw to scratch plectrum talon cuticle digit finger file scrape grip pick

Sentences including 爪

  • I never cut my nails at night.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 爪 爫 (tsume・tsumekammuri・tsumegashira・sonyo・notsu)

See all kanji with this radical →

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