蠍
sasori[sa̠so̞ɾʲi]
The English word "scorpion" is translated into Japanese as 蠍 (sasori). Wiktionary also lists 蝎 (sasori).
Meaning: any of various arachnids of the order Scorpiones (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 蠍 | sasori | [sa̠so̞ɾʲi] (narrow) |
| 蝎 | sasori |
The term refers to any arachnid belonging to the order Scorpiones.
Which one should you use?
There are two versions of the word: 蠍 and 蝎. Both are pronounced as sasori.
How do you pronounce it?
sasori
Did you know?
- Japanese folklore occasionally features the sasori as a creature that can be tamed or used as a spiritual messenger in certain esoteric contexts.
- The kanji 蠍 consists of the radical for 'insect' 虫 on the left and a phonetic component on the right.
- If you were to see a scorpion in a Japanese aquarium, the signage would almost certainly use the katakana version サソリ rather than the kanji versions.
Examples in context
- 友達とさそりを見つけた！かっこいいね。I found a scorpion with my friend! It looks cool, doesn't it?
- 砂漠には大きな蠍がいます。Sabaku ni wa ookina sasori ga imasu.There are large scorpions in the desert.
- 蠍に刺されないように気をつけて。Sasori ni sasarenai you ni ki wo tsukete.Be careful not to get stung by a scorpion.
- 図鑑で蠍の絵を見ました。Zukan de sasori no e wo mimashita.I saw a picture of a scorpion in an encyclopedia.
Example conversation
A young man and woman are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- 結衣 Yuiあの蠍はとても強そうですね。Ano sasori wa totemo tsuyosou desu ne.That scorpion looks very strong, doesn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、毒がとても強いんだよ。Un, doku ga totemo tsuyoi nda yo.Yeah, its venom is very strong.
- 結衣 Yui陽太くん、ちょっと怖いかも。Youta-kun, chotto kowai kamo.Youta, I might be a little scared.
- 陽太 Yota大丈夫だよ、テレビの中だけだから。Daijoubu da yo, terebi no naka dake dakara.It's okay, it's only on TV.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scorpion” translations and entries 蠍, 蝎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
