How to say "den" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 書斎しょさいnounCovers the den of a house: a quiet room for reading or work, corresponding to study, library, or home office. Use this when talking about a room in a home, not an animal's dwelling.
- 洞穴ほらあなnounCovers the wild-animal sense of den, meaning a cave, cavern, or grotto where an animal lives. It denotes a natural hollow in rock rather than a room or a nest.
- 巣すnounCovers an animal's den as its nest or home. Its core sense is nest or lair, so for a den as a room or a cave this is not the word you want; think of where an animal actually lives and raises young.
Use 書斎 for a den as a study or home workroom in the house, 洞穴 for a wild animal's den in the sense of a cave or lair, and 巣 for an animal's den as its nest or burrow.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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