エイ
ei[e̞i]
The Japanese word for stingray is エイ (ei).
エイ refers to a venomous ray belonging to the orders Rajiformes and Myliobatiformes.
Meaning: venomous ray of the orders Rajiformes and Myliobatiformes (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ei.
Did you know?
- In some Japanese martial arts or traditional games, the sound えい! is used as a kiai, or spirit shout, which sounds nearly identical to the fish name.
- The wings of the エイ are considered a specialty in traditional Japanese cooking and are known as エイヒレ.
- Creators of Japanese media, such as the Pokémon series, frequently use エイ to create puns in the names of characters or abilities.
Examples in context
- 昨日、ビーチでめちゃくちゃ大きなエイを見たよ！Yesterday, I saw a huge stingray at the beach!
- 水族館で大きなエイを見ました。Suizokukan de ookina ei o mimashita.I saw a large stingray at the aquarium.
- あのエイはとても速く泳ぎます。Ano ei wa totemo hayaku oyogimasu.That stingray swims very fast.
- 砂の中にエイが隠れています。Suna no naka ni ei ga kakurete imasu.A stingray is hiding in the sand.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are looking at fish in a large tank.
- 大翔 Hiroto見て、あそこにエイが泳いでるよ。Mite, asoko ni ei ga oyonderu yo.Look, there is a stingray swimming over there.
- 美咲 Misaki本当に！すごく平べったいね。Hontou ni! Sugoku hirabettai ne.Really! It's so flat.
- 大翔 Hirotoエイの動きはとても優雅だね。Ei no ugoki wa totemo yuuga da ne.The movement of the stingray is very elegant.
- 美咲 Misakiそうだね。ずっと見ていられるよ。Sou da ne. Zutto mite irareru yo.You're right. I could watch it forever.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry エイ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
