Japanese word

翼

Pronunciation

Romajitsubasa

Meaning

  • nounwing

Example

鳥が翼を広げます。tori ga tsubasa o hiro ge ma su

The bird spreads its wings.

Illustration for 翼 (wing)

More examples

蝶は翼を動かして飛びます。chō wa tsubasa o ugo ka shi te to bi ma su

A butterfly moves its wings to fly.

飛行機の翼が強い風で揺れています。hi kō ki no tsubasa ga tsuyo i kaze de yu re te i ma su

The airplane's wing is shaking in the strong wind.

Core concept

Describes a projecting part used for flight and the idea of gaining the power or freedom to move outward.

Common phrases

  • 翼を広げるtsubasa o hiro ge ru

    spread one's wings

  • 翼をたたむtsubasa o ta ta mu

    fold one's wings

  • 翼の先tsubasa no saki

    wingtip

Similar words

羽hane: A feather or set of feathers on a bird, often referring to the feathers as material.

Definition in Japanese

鳥などが飛ぶために体の左右に持つ、広がった器官。tori na do ga to bu ta me ni karada no sa yū ni mo tsu hiro ga tta ki kan

Word origin

つばさ (tsubasa, "wing") is a native Japanese noun, but its word formation and deeper origin are uncertain; the usual kanji spelling is 翼 (tsubasa, "wing").

Usage tips

  • The title Captain Tsubasa uses 翼 (tsubasa) as a personal name, so learners may encounter this word as a name as well as for a bird's wing.

Word lists with this word