How to say "tail" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 尻尾しっぽnounThe everyday word for an animal's tail — dogs, cats, and other animals. This is the word you want in ordinary conversation about animals.
- 尾おnounAlso means an animal's tail, but has a more technical or scientific flavor, as in anatomy (the cauda). Prefer 尻尾 in everyday speech about animals.
- 尾翼びよくnounCovers only the aviation sense: the tail section of an aircraft, the empennage or tail assembly. Never use this for an animal's tail.
- 尾行びこうnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThis is the verb-noun sense of 'tail': following or shadowing someone, as detectives do. It is not a body part, so it is the wrong choice for an animal's tail.
Use 尻尾 for an animal's tail, 尾 for the same idea in more technical or scientific contexts, 尾翼 for an aircraft's tail assembly, and 尾行 only for tailing someone.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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