蜘蛛
kumo[kɯ̟mo̞]
The English word "spider" is translated into Japanese as 蜘蛛 (kumo). Wiktionary also lists スパイダー (supaidā).
Meaning: arthropod (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 蜘蛛 | kumo | [kɯ̟mo̞] (narrow) [t͡ɕit͡ɕɨː] (narrow) |
| スパイダー | supaidā | [sɨpa̠ida̠ː] (narrow) |
The standard way to refer to the arthropod is 蜘蛛. If you want to specifically say "spider web", you combine the word for spider with the word for nest or web to form 蜘蛛の巣.
Which one should you use?
蜘蛛 is the standard, natural Japanese word for the animal. In contrast, スパイダー is a loanword from English and is primarily used in pop culture, such as in titles like "Spider-Man" (スパイダーマン) or when referring to specific brand names.
How do you pronounce it?
kumo
Did you know?
- The word for 'spider', 蜘蛛 (kumo), is a homophone for the word for 'cloud', 雲 (kumo).
- One theory suggests the name 蜘蛛 comes from the verb komoru, meaning 'to hide inside something', describing how spiders live in their webs.
Examples in context
- 蜘蛛に噛まれた。I was bitten by a spider.This sentence is useful for describing being bitten by a 蜘蛛.Tatoeba #11792737 by small_snow, translation #10169595 by ddnktr
- 蜘蛛が巣を張った。The spider spun a web.This sentence is useful for describing a 蜘蛛 spinning a web.Tatoeba #11263608 by small_snow, translation #2239687 by AlanF_US
- 壁には蜘蛛がいる。There's a spider on the wall.This sentence is useful for stating the presence of a 蜘蛛 on a wall.Tatoeba #11524863 by bunbuku, translation #9358167 by megamanenm
- この公園にはクモがたくさんいます。There are many spiders in this park.
- あのソリグモは美しい巣を作りますね。That orb-weaver spider is making a beautiful web, isn't it?
- あのクモさん、大きいね！That spider is big, isn't it?
- あそこにクモがいます！There's a spider over there!
- クモの巣が天井にあります。There's a spider's web on the ceiling.
- クモが逃げました！The spider ran away!
- クモも生き物だから仲良くしようよ。Spiders are living creatures too, so let's get along.
- クモさんは友達だよ。Spiders are our friends.
- クモは人間を襲いませんので、心配しないでください。Spiders don't attack humans, so please don't worry.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are looking at a biology textbook in a library.
- 結衣 Yuiこの蜘蛛はとても大きいです。Kono kumo wa totemo ookii desu.This spider is very large.
- 陽太 Yota本当ですね。少し怖いです。Hontou desu ne. Sukoshi kowai desu.That's true. It's a little scary.
- 結衣 Yui図鑑で調べましょう。Zukan de shirabemashou.Let's look it up in an encyclopedia.
- 陽太 Yotaいいですね。やってみましょう。Ii desu ne. Yatte mimashou.Good idea. Let's try that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spider” translations and entries 蜘蛛, スパイダー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries スパイダー, 蜘蛛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
