How to say "bird" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 鳥とりnounThe everyday word for a bird — the animal itself, whether wild, kept, or in a picture. Use it whenever you simply mean 'bird' in ordinary speech or writing.
- nounA loanword from English 'bird', less common than 鳥. You will mostly meet it inside borrowed expressions rather than as the word for an actual bird, so 鳥 is usually what you want.
Use 鳥 for any actual bird in everyday speech and writing; 「バード」 is a less common loanword that you will mostly encounter inside borrowed expressions rather than as the word for a bird itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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