蛾
ga[ɡa̠]
The Japanese word for "moth" is 蛾 (ga).
蛾 is used to refer to an insect that is similar to a butterfly.
Meaning: insect similar to a butterfly (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ga.
Did you know?
- In the kanji for 蛾, the left side is the 'insect' radical, but the right side is the 'girl' radical (女).
- In Japanese folklore, the 蛾 is sometimes associated with the spirit of a deceased person or a messenger from the other world.
- In Japanese literature, the word 蛾 often carries a heavy, dark connotation of being drawn to a flame, symbolizing a fatal obsession.
Examples in context
- それは蝶ですか、それとも蛾ですか。Is it a butterfly or a moth?This sentence is useful for practicing the distinction between a butterfly and a 蛾.Tatoeba #204983 by arnab, translation #42225 by CK
- 私は公園で蛾を見つけました。I found a moth in the park.
- この蛾は美しい色をしていますね。This moth has beautiful colors.
- 昨夜、ガが部屋に飛び込んできた。Last night, a moth flew into my room.
- あのガはとても大きいね。That moth is very big!
- 大きな蛾が飛んでいます。Ookina ga ga tonde imasu.A large moth is flying.
- 窓に蛾が止まっています。Mado ni ga ga tomatte imasu.A moth is perched on the window.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are looking at an insect on the wall.
- 大翔 Hirotoあそこに蛾がいるよ。asoko ni ga ga iru yo.There is a moth over there.
- 結衣 Yui本当だ！びっくりした。hontou da! bikkuri shita.You're right! You scared me.
- 大翔 Hiroto蛾は蝶と似ているね。ga wa chou to nite iru ne.Moths look similar to butterflies, don't they?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、でも少し違うね。un, demo sukoshi chigau ne.Yeah, but they are a little different.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moth” translations and entries 蛾, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
