How to say "crow" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe ordinary word for the bird itself, covering crows and ravens of the genus Corvus. Use this whenever you mean the animal, as in describing birds in a park or field guide.
- nounA marginal match for 'crow' and far less common than カラス; it is seldom the word you want for the bird. Learners are safer treating it as a transliteration of the English word.
- nounA children's, slangy onomatopoeia for the crow's caw rather than the bird itself. Use it in playful or childlike speech to represent the sound, not when naming the animal.
Use 「カラス」 for the bird; 「クロウ」 is a rare, marginal rendering of 'crow' (e.g. the shout or name); 「カーカー」 is childish slang imitating the bird's caw.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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