Japanese Conversation · Level 32
90 words
Japanese word
尾
Pronunciation
Romajio
Meaning
- nountail
Example
鳥が尾を広げています。tori ga o o hiro ge te i ma su
The bird is spreading its tail.
More examples
猫は驚くと尾を太くします。neko wa odoro ku to o o futo ku shi ma su
When a cat is startled, it puffs up its tail.
Core concept
Refers to the part that extends from the rear of an animal's body and often helps it balance, signal, or move.
Common phrases
尾を振るo o fu ru
wag one's tail
長い尾naga i o
long tail
尾を広げるo o hiro ge ru
spread one's tail
Similar words
しっぽshippo: An everyday informal word for the tail of an animal.
Definition in Japanese
動物の胴体の後端から伸びている部分。dō butsu no dō tai no kō tan ka ra no bi te i ru bu bun
Word origin
The native Japanese noun 尾 (o, "tail") is written with the Chinese-derived kanji 尾 (bi, "tail"), whose character meaning matches the word.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers often use しっぽ (shippo) for an animal's tail, while 尾 (o) sounds more formal and appears often in written descriptions and compounds.