1.
mole, beauty mark
A small, dark spot on the skin caused by a concentration of pigment cells.
彼女は口元に黒子がある。
She has a mole near her mouth.
黒子を取る手術をした。
I had surgery to remove a mole.
泣き黒子がチャームポイントだ。
The mole under her eye is her charming feature.
黒子 refers to a small, dark spot on the skin (a mole or beauty mark). The word is usually written in hiragana (ほくろ) in everyday use.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 黒子がある: to have a mole
- 黒子を取る: to remove a mole
- 泣き黒子: mole under the eye ("crying mole")
- 黒子除去: mole removal
KANJI:
The kanji 黒子 uses 黒 (black) + 子, but this reading is irregular (熟字訓). In a different context, 黒子 refers to a stagehand in kabuki theater who wears all black.
CULTURE:
Moles in certain positions — especially near the mouth (口元) or under the eye — are sometimes considered attractive features (チャームポイント) in Japanese and East Asian cultures.