海月
kurage[ka̠iɡe̞t͡sɨ]
The English word 'jellyfish' is translated into Japanese as 海月 (kurage). Wiktionary also lists 水母 (kurage).
Meaning: aquatic animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 海月 | kurage | [ka̠iɡe̞t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 水母 | kurage | [kɯ̟ɾa̠ɡe̞] (narrow) [sɨibo̞] (narrow) |
The word refers to the aquatic animal known as a jellyfish.
What does it mean word for word?
The most common spelling, 海月, literally translates to 'sea moon'. The alternative spelling, 水母, literally translates to 'water mother'.
How do you pronounce it?
kurage
Did you know?
- The word 水母 is an example of 'jukujikun', a phenomenon where kanji are assigned a pronunciation based on their meaning rather than their individual sounds.
- Despite having totally different literal meanings, both 海月 and 水母 are used to write the exact same word, 'kurage'.
Examples in context
- 生物学の授業で クラゲ属の生き物 について学びました。I learned about animals of the jellyfish genus in biology class.
- わあ、あの クラゲさん がとっても可愛い！Wow, that "kurage-san" is so cute!
- 海月が泳いでいます。kurage ga oyoide imasu.A jellyfish is swimming.
- 大きな海月を見ました。ookina kurage o mimashita.I saw a big jellyfish.
- 海月はとても透明です。kurage wa totemo toumei desu.Jellyfish are very transparent.
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are visiting an aquarium.
- 結衣 Yui見て、大きな海月がいるよ！Mite, ookina kurage ga iru yo!Look, there is a big jellyfish!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だ、すごくきれいだね。Hontou da, sugoku kirei da ne.You're right, it's really beautiful.
- 結衣 Yui海月がふわふわ浮いているね。Kurage ga fuwafuwa uite iru ne.The jellyfish is floating softly, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hiroto癒やされるなあ。Iyasareru naa.It's so relaxing to watch.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jellyfish” translations and entries 海月, 水母, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 水母, 海月, CC BY-SA 4.0.
