Japanese word

鶴

Pronunciation

Romajitsuru

Meaning

  • nouncrane

Example

湖で鶴を見ました。mizuumi de tsuru o mi ma shi ta

I saw a crane at the lake.

Illustration for 鶴 (crane)

More examples

冬になると、湖に鶴が飛来します。fuyu ni na ru to mizuumi ni tsuru ga hi rai shi ma su

When winter comes, cranes fly to the lake.

Core concept

Names a tall bird with long legs and a long neck that lives around wetlands and open fields.

Common phrases

  • 鶴を折るtsuru o o ru

    fold an origami crane

  • 鶴の群れtsuru no mu re

    a flock of cranes

Definition in Japanese

脚と首が長く、湿地や草原に生息する大型の鳥。ashi to kubi ga naga ku shit chi ya sō gen ni sei soku su ru ō gata no tori

Word origin

The word 鶴 (tsuru, "crane") is native Japanese, while the kanji 鶴 was borrowed from Chinese writing, where it also means "crane"; the word's deeper origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • In English, crane also names a machine with a long arm, but 鶴 (tsuru) refers to the bird.

Word lists with this word