鳩
hato[ha̠to̞]
The Japanese word for pigeon is 鳩 (hato).
The word 鳩 refers to birds of the Columbidae family, which includes both pigeons and doves.
Meaning: bird of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 鳩 is the standard way to write the word, you will often see it written in Katakana as ハト. Using Katakana is common in scientific contexts or when referring to the animal in a general, non-poetic way.
How does it change in a sentence?
To show possession or an attributive relationship, such as 'pigeon poop', you use the particle の (no) after the noun, forming 鳩の.
How do you pronounce it?
hato
Did you know?
- The standard reading 'hato' may have originated from the onomatopoeia 'hatahata', mimicking the flapping sound of a pigeon's wings.
- The word 鳩 is documented in the Kojiki, one of the oldest surviving books in Japanese, dating back to 712 CE.
- In Japanese culture, 鳩 are often seen as symbols of peace and messengers, appearing frequently in traditional art and shrines.
Examples in context
- 車が、鳩のフンだらけだよ。My car is covered with pigeon poop.This sentence shows how to use 鳩 to describe something covered in its droppings.Tatoeba #11512651 by small_snow, translation #1540535 by Chevere33
- 鳩は飛んでいった。The pigeon has flown away.This sentence demonstrates the use of 鳩 as the subject that has flown away.Tatoeba #121274 by kebukebu, translation #282732 by kebukebu
- トムは超速く飛ぶ鳩だ。Tom is a pigeon that flies very fast.This sentence uses 鳩 to describe someone as a fast-flying bird.Tatoeba #9523814 by 00shoujikisou, translation #9523793 by 00shoujikisou
- 鳩は都市部でよく見かけられます。(Hato wa toshibu de yoku mikakeraremasu.)Pigeons are often seen in urban areas.
- 家鳩は古代から人々に使役されてきました。(Iehato wa kodai kara hitobito ni shieki sarete kimashita.)Domestic pigeons have been used by people since ancient times.
- 公園でハトを見たよ！(Kōen de hato o mita yo!)I saw a pigeon in the park!
- 鳩ちゃんが窓の外で餌を食べているよ！(Hato-chan ga mado no soto de esa o tabete iru yo!)Pigeon-chan is eating food outside the window!
- 彼は本当の鳥バカで、ハトの写真を撮り続けているんだ。(Kare wa hontō no tori baka de, hato no shashin o tori tsuzukete iru nda.)He's a real bird lover, he keeps taking pictures of pigeons.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Daito are walking in a city park.
- 結衣 Yui見て、あそこに鳩がいるよ。Mite, asoko ni hato ga iru yo.Look, there is a pigeon over there.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だ。たくさん集まっているね。Hontō da. Takusan atsumatte iru ne.You're right. A lot of them are gathered.
- 結衣 Yui鳩にエサをあげてもいいのかな？Hato ni esa o agetemo ii no kana?I wonder if it's okay to feed the pigeons?
- 大翔 Hiroto多分、ここでは禁止だと思うよ。Tabun, koko de wa kinshi da to omou yo.I think it's probably forbidden here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pigeon” translations and entries 鳩, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 鳩, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
