角膜
kakumaku[ka̠kɯ̟ma̠kɯ̟]
The Japanese word for cornea is 角膜 (kakumaku).
角膜 is used to refer to the layer forming the front of the eye.
Meaning: layer forming the front of the eye (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
kakumaku
Did you know?
- The word 角膜 uses the character 角, which means 'horn', because the cornea is thought to have a texture similar to a horn.
- The kanji for 'horn', 角, is also the same character used in the word for 'angle' in mathematics.
- While 角膜 is the anatomical term, a 'corneal scratch' is often described using the word 傷 meaning 'wound' or 'scratch'. This highlights a linguistic preference for describing the damage rather than the specific layer.
Examples in context
- 角膜は眼球の表面を保護し、光の屈折を担当します。The cornea protects the surface of the eyeball and is responsible for light refraction.
- 眼角膜の形状は視力に大きく関与しています。The shape of the cornea greatly influences visual acuity.
- 角膜に傷がつきました。Kakumaku ni kizu ga tsukimashita.The cornea is scratched.
- 角膜の健康を守ることが大切です。Kakumaku no kenkou o mamoru koto ga taisetsu desu.It is important to protect the health of the cornea.
- 角膜が腫れているようです。Kakumaku ga harete iru you desu.It looks like the cornea is swollen.
Example conversation
Misaki is asking Hiroto about his recent eye exam results.
- 美咲 Misaki目の検査の結果はどうだった？Me no kensa no kekka wa dou datta?How were your eye exam results?
- 大翔 Hiroto角膜に少し炎症があるって言われたよ。Kakumaku ni sukoshi enshou ga aru tte iwareta yo.I was told there is a little inflammation in my cornea.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは心配だね。痛みはある？Sore wa shinpai dane. Itami wa aru?That's worrying. Does it hurt?
- 大翔 Hiroto今は痛みはないから大丈夫だよ。Ima wa itami wa nai kara daijoubu da yo.There is no pain right now, so I'm okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cornea” translations and entries 角膜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 角膜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
