Japanese word

鳩

Pronunciation

Romajihato

Meaning

  • nounpigeon

Example

屋根に鳩がいます。ya ne ni hato ga i ma su

There is a pigeon on the roof.

Illustration for 鳩 (pigeon)

More examples

白い鳩が空を飛んでいます。shiro i hato ga sora o to n de i ma su

A white pigeon is flying in the sky.

Core concept

Covers the pigeon family as a whole, including familiar city birds and species that English commonly calls doves.

Common phrases

  • 鳩に餌をやるhato ni esa o ya ru

    feed pigeons

  • 鳩を飼うhato o ka u

    keep pigeons

  • 鳩を追い払うhato o o i hara u

    drive pigeons away

Definition in Japanese

ハト科の鳥を広く指す語。ha to ka no tori o hiro ku sa su go

Word origin

The native Japanese word 鳩 (hato, "pigeon") has an uncertain older origin; its written form uses the Chinese character 鳩 (kyū, "pigeon").

Usage tips

  • The English words pigeon and dove overlap in everyday use, whereas Japanese 鳩 (hato) can cover both, making it useful for general descriptions of these birds.

Other meanings

  • dovenoun

Word lists with this word