禿鷹
hagetaka[ha̠ɡe̞ta̠ka̠]
The English word vulture is 禿鷹 (hagetaka) in Japanese. Wiktionary also lists 禿鷲 (hagewashi).
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 禿鷹 | hagetaka | [ha̠ɡe̞ta̠ka̠] (narrow) |
| 禿鷲 | hagewashi | [ha̠ɡe̞β̞a̠ɕi] (narrow) |
Both 禿鷹 and 禿鷲 are used to refer to the bird known as a vulture.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 禿鷹 is composed of the characters for bald (禿) and hawk (鷹).
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean vulture, 禿鷹 (hagetaka) uses the character for hawk (鷹), whereas 禿鷲 (hagewashi) uses the character for eagle (鷲).
How do you pronounce it?
hagetaka
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese, hagetaka is used as a metaphor for 'corporate raiders' or opportunistic investors who buy undervalued companies to strip their assets.
- The word washi (eagle) used in hagewashi is also used as a very archaic or dialectal way for older men to say 'I' in Japanese.
- If you were to use the word 禿 (hage) as a slang term in Japan, it is a very blunt and often rude way to refer to someone's hair loss.
Examples in context
- 空に禿鷹が飛んでいます。sora ni hakutaka ga tonde imasu.A vulture is flying in the sky.
- あの禿鷹は大きな鳥ですね。ano hakutaka wa ookina tori desu ne.That vulture is a large bird, isn't it?
- 図鑑で禿鷹の絵を見ました。zukan de hakutaka no e o mimashita.I saw a picture of a vulture in a guidebook.
Example conversation
Yui and Daisho are looking at a nature book together.
- 結衣 Yui大翔、この鳥は何？Daisho, kono tori wa nani?Daisho, what is this bird?
- 大翔 Hirotoこれは禿鷹だよ。Kore wa hage-taka dayo.This is a vulture.
- 結衣 Yui禿鷹はどこに住んでいるの？Hage-taka wa doko ni sunde iru no?Where do vultures live?
- 大翔 Hiroto暖かい地域に住んでいるよ。Atatakai chiiki ni sunde iru yo.They live in warm regions.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vulture” translations and entries 禿鷹, 禿鷲, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
