How to say "frog" in Japanese

• かえるCommon
  nounThe everyday word for the frog as an animal. Suitable in almost any context, from children's stories to biology, and normally written in kana alone.
  この池いけには以前いぜん蛙かえるがたくさんいたものだった。↗

  There used to be a lot of frogs in this pond.
• かわず
  nounA poetical word for the frog as an animal, found in poetry and literary writing rather than everyday speech. For ordinary purposes かえる is the word to reach for.
• フロッグ
  nounThe loanword rendering of frog. It is less common than かえる and is not the usual way to refer to the animal, so learners will rarely need it.
• 蹄叉ていさ
  nounNot the animal: the technical term for a horse's frog, the pad in the hoof that acts as a shock absorber, also called the fourchette. A term of horse anatomy, not everyday vocabulary.
• 糞蛙くそがえる
  nounA colloquial word for frogs, especially the wrinkled frog or Asian grass frog, and for toads such as the Japanese toad. Its written form contains 糞, so it is not a neutral choice; use かえる.

Use 「かえる」 for the animal in ordinary contexts; 「かわず」 is its poetical synonym and 「フロッグ」 a rarer loanword, while 蹄叉 is the frog of a horse's hoof and 糞蛙 a colloquial term for certain frogs and toads.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• かえるfrog
• 蛙かわずfrog
• フロッグfrog
• 蹄叉ていさfrog
• 糞蛙くそがえるfrog (esp. the wrinkled frog or Asian grass frog)
• 剣山けんざんneedle-point holder (in ikebana)