いぬ・犬・狗inu[2]odaka (tail-high)

1. noundog (Canis (lupus) familiaris); canine
   彼女かのじょは吠ほえる犬いぬを怖こわがる。↗

   She is afraid of barking dogs.
2. nounsquealer; rat; snitch; informer; informant; spy
   気きをつけて。警察けいさつの犬いぬがかぎ回まわってる。↗

   Watch out! A police spy is snooping around.
3. nounloser; asshole
4. noun (prefix)counterfeit; inferior; useless; wasteful

• SynonymドッグCasualColloquial loanword, mostly in compounds like 「ドッグフード」 and 「ホットドッグ」; it can also stand alone for a dog.
• Related戌いぬWrittenWritten word for the Dog of the twelve earthly branches: zodiac, hours, directions, as in 「戌年」; it does not refer to an actual dog.

「犬」 is the default word for a dog. 「戌」 is only for the zodiac sign and earthly branch (hours, directions), as in 「戌年」, never an actual dog. 「ドッグ」 is a loanword mostly seen in compounds like 「ドッグフード」.

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

1. いぬ。
2. つまらないもの、無駄むだなもののたとえ。