鷹
taka[ta̠ka̠]
The Japanese word for hawk is 鷹 (taka).
The term 鷹 is used to refer to a hawk, specifically a predatory bird belonging to the Accipitridae family.
Meaning: predatory bird of Accipitridae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
taka
Did you know?
- In the traditional Japanese game of 鷹狩, the bird is not just a tool but is treated as a prestigious partner with its own social status.
- In Japanese names, the character for hawk, 鷹, is often used to imbue a sense of sharpness, strength, or high ambition.
- The kanji for 鷹 is composed of the radical for 'bird' and a phonetic component that originally depicted a specialized type of claw.
Examples in context
- 日本には美しい 鷹 がたくさんいます。There are many beautiful hawks in Japan.
- 昨日、公園で 鷹 を見ました。I saw a hawk in the park yesterday.
- 空に鷹が飛んでいる。Sora ni taka ga tonde iru.A hawk is flying in the sky.
- 鷹はとても鋭い目を持っている。Taka wa totemo surudoi me o motte iru.A hawk has very sharp eyes.
- あの鷹は獲物を探しているようだ。Ano taka wa emono o sagashite iru you da.That hawk looks like it is searching for prey.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at the sky during a hike.
- 結衣 Yui陽太、あそこに鷹が見えるよ！Youta, asoko ni taka ga mieru yo!Youta, I can see a hawk over there!
- 陽太 Yota本当だ、かっこいい鷹だね。Hontou da, kakkoii taka da ne.You're right, it's a cool hawk.
- 結衣 Yuiすごく速く飛んでいるね。Sugoku hayaku tonde iru ne.It's flying really fast.
- 陽太 Yota結衣、あっちにもう一羽いるよ。Yui, acchi ni mou ippou iru yo.Yui, there is another one over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hawk” translations and entries 鷹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
