雌
[me̞sɨ]
The Japanese term mesu means female.
The term 雌 is primarily used in biological or zoological contexts to denote the sex of an animal.
Did you know?
- The word mesu is so strictly non-human that applying the kanji 雌 to a person can sound profoundly dehumanizing. While it means 'female', it is a biological marker rather than a social one.
- The 'su' in mesu might be a linguistic fossil found in the names of several Japanese birds. For example, the 'su' in uguisu, the bush warbler, may share the same ancient origin.
Examples in context
- この猫は雌です。Kono neko wa mesu desu.This cat is female.
- 雌のリスを見つけた。Mesu no risu o mitsuketa.I found a female squirrel.
- 雌の鳥が卵を産む。Mesu no tori ga tamago o umu.The female bird lays eggs.
Example conversation
Two people are observing animals at a local zoo.
- 結衣 Yuiあのライオンは雌かな？Ano raion wa mesu kana?I wonder if that lion is female?
- 蓮 Renたぶん雌だと思うよ。Tabun mesu da to omou yo.I think it is probably female.
- 結衣 Yui雌のライオンは強そうだね。Mesu no raion wa tsuyosou dane.The female lion looks strong.
- 蓮 Renそうだね、かっこいいよ。Sou dane, kakkoii yo.You're right, she's cool.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 雌, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 雌, CC BY-SA 4.0.
