魚
Meaning in Englishfish
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
魚 (sakana) means “fish” and is used in Japanese to denote gill-bearing aquatic animals as well as the general concept of fish in food, science, and everyday speech; the word functions as a basic noun for species, seafood, and items sold or prepared from fish, and appears frequently in menus, market names, biological contexts, and everyday conversation.
Main meanings
- 1. culinary ingredient or seafood item distinct from meat, referenced in markets and menus rather than the biological definition.
- 2. component in compound words to indicate fish-related categories (species groups, fisheries, dishes).
- 3. literary or archaic reading used in names and older texts under the pronunciation uo, giving a stylistic or classical nuance.
- 4. figurative uses in idioms and expressions where fish represents prey, luck, or appetites rather than a literal animal.
- 5. part of cultural/astrological terms when combined to form names such as the sign Pisces.
How to use it
Used broadly across registers: in casual speech the reading 魚 (sakana) refers to fish encountered at home, markets, and restaurants, while in written compounds or proper names the reading uo or other on-readings appear; collocates include culinary contexts (preparation, sale), biological classification, idioms, and counting with specific counters (e.g., the animal counter hiki), with the kanji commonly appearing in menus, signage, scientific names, and news.
Variants and close terms
- 肴 (sakana) — appetizer or snack served with alcohol, historically related but distinct from 魚.
- 魚介 (gyokai) — seafood, including shellfish and fish.
- 魚類 (gyorui) — fish species, zoological term.
- 肉 (niku) — meat (contrast/antonym in culinary contexts).
Composition
魚 (sakana) is a single kanji pictograph originally drawn to resemble a fish: strokes suggest the head and fins at the top/left, the body in the center, and the tail at the bottom/right, so the character itself visually encodes the idea of a fish rather than combining multiple independent characters.
Origin
Fish as a central food source and cultural element has been present in the Japanese archipelago since prehistoric times; archaeological evidence from the Jōmon period shows organized fishing and seafood consumption, and by the medieval and Edo periods coastal fishing, fish markets, and preservation techniques (drying, salting, sushi precursors) made fish integral to diet, economy, and place names across Japan.
Word class
noun (名詞)