Japanese Conversation · Level 33
90 words
Japanese word
うろこ
Pronunciation
Romajiuroko
Meaning
- nounscale
Example
魚のうろこは小さくて硬いです。sakana no u ro ko wa chii sa ku te kata i de su
Fish scales are small and hard.
More examples
鯛のうろこは光を受けて輝いています。tai no u ro ko wa hikari o u ke te kagaya i te i ma su
The sea bream's scales shine in the light.
Core concept
It refers to a thin, hard piece that forms part of an animal's protective outer covering.
Common phrases
うろこが硬いu ro ko ga kata i
scales are hard
うろこが剥がれるu ro ko ga ha ga re ru
scales come off
うろこをこそげるu ro ko o ko so ge ru
scrape off scales
Definition in Japanese
魚や爬虫類などの皮膚を覆い、体を守る小さく硬い板状のもの。sakana ya ha chū rui na do no hi fu o ō i karada o mamo ru chii sa ku kata i ita jō no mo no
Word origin
The Japanese noun うろこ (uroko, "scale") is a native word, but its older word structure is not established with certainty.
Usage tips
- In Japanese weather vocabulary, 鱗雲 (urokogumo, "scale clouds") names clouds patterned like rows of small fish scales.