小鳥(ことり)

ことり
noun
small bird, songbird
animal-bird
1. small bird, little bird, songbird
A small bird, often referring to songbirds kept as pets or wild birds that visit gardens.
庭(にわ)に小鳥(ことり)が来(き)ました。
A small bird came to the garden.
小鳥(ことり)の鳴(な)き声(ごえ)が聞(き)こえる。
I can hear the singing of small birds.
小鳥(ことり)を飼(か)っています。
I keep a pet bird.
朝(あさ)、小鳥(ことり)のさえずりで目(め)が覚(さ)めた。
I woke up to the chirping of small birds in the morning.
子供(こども)たちは公園(こうえん)で小鳥(ことり)にえさをやるのを楽(たの)しみにしている。
The children look forward to feeding the small birds in the park.

小鳥(ことり) is a compound of 小(こ) (small) + 鳥(とり) (bird). It typically refers to songbirds and small pet birds, not small birds of prey or waterfowl.

Common collocations

TYPES (common pet birds):

Counting patterns

Birds are counted with 羽(わ): 一(いち)羽(わ), 二(に)羽(わ), 三(さん)羽(わ).

The 小(こ) prefix appears in many words to indicate smallness: 小川(おがわ) (stream), 小雨(こさめ) (light rain).

Related Words

Related: 鳥(とり) (bird; chicken (meat))
core
Added 2026.1.9 21:13 · Revised 2026.10.9 9:35
01500/01590_kotori