How to Say "Bird" in Japanese

鳥

tori[to̞ɾʲi]

The Japanese word for bird is 鳥 (tori). Wiktionary also lists 鳥類 (chōrui).

Meaning: animal (noun)

Ways to say it

“bird” in Japanese
Japanese	Romanization (Wiktionary)	IPA
鳥	tori	[to̞ɾʲi] (narrow)
鳥類	chōrui	[t͡ɕo̞ːɾɯ̟i] (narrow)

鳥 is used to refer to individual birds or birds in a general sense.

While 鳥 refers to individual birds or birds in general, 鳥類 is the technical, scientific term used to refer to the biological class Aves (birds).

tori

Japanese has a specific word 鳥肌 ('tori-hada'), which literally means 'bird skin' but is used to say one has 'goosebumps'.
In traditional Japanese culture, the 'yatagarasu' is a mythical three-legged 鳥 that serves as a guide from the gods.
The kanji for bird, 鳥, is a pictograph that originally depicted the shape of a bird's body and its wings.

鳥が描けない。
I can't draw a bird.
This sentence shows how to use 鳥 when expressing an inability to draw one.
Tatoeba #2242276 by bunbuku, translation #1887125 by CK
それは鳥です。
It is a bird.
This sentence demonstrates how to identify something as 鳥.
Tatoeba #3191806 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #3153415 by Alkrasnov
あれは鳥なの？
Is that a bird?
This sentence is useful for asking if something is a 鳥.
Tatoeba #8732923 by bunbuku, translation #4747435 by AlanF_US
とりは空を飛びます。
Birds fly in the sky.
バードウォッチングが趣味です。
Bird watching is my hobby.
103 more sentences on Tatoeba

Kenta and Himari are walking in a park.

健太 Kenta

あそこに鳥がいますよ。
Asoko ni tori ga imasu yo.
There is a bird over there.
陽葵 Himari

本当、きれいな鳥ですね。
Hontou, kirei na tori desu ne.
Really, it's a beautiful bird.
健太 Kenta

あの鳥は何て名前ですか？
Ano tori wa nante namae desu ka?
What is the name of that bird?
陽葵 Himari

分かりません。
Wakarimasen.
I don't know.

Sources

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