しっぽ
しっぽ
noun
tail
1.
tail (of an animal)
The tail of an animal. The most common everyday word for tail, used especially when talking about pets.
犬がしっぽを振る。
The dog wags its tail.
猫のしっぽは長い。
The cat's tail is long.
しっぽを踏まないように気をつけて。
Be careful not to step on its tail.
2.
end, tail end
The end or trailing part of something, used figuratively.
しっぽを出す。
To show one's true colors (lit. 'to let one's tail show').
しっぽを掴む。
To catch someone red-handed (lit. 'to grab the tail').
犯人のしっぽを掴んだ。
We caught the culprit's trail.
しっぽ is the most common everyday word for an animal's tail, especially in casual speech and when talking about pets.
KANJI:
Can be written as 尻尾, though hiragana is standard.
WORD FORMATION:
From 尻 (buttocks) + 尾 (tail), with sound change.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- しっぽを振る: to wag one's tail
- しっぽを巻いて逃げる: to run away with one's tail between one's legs (idiom: to flee in defeat)
- しっぽを出す: to reveal one's true nature (lit. to let one's tail show)
- しっぽを掴む: to catch someone's trail; to find evidence of wrongdoing
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 尾: tail (literary/formal, also used in compounds like 尾行)
- 尻尾: same word in kanji form
- しっぽ is the default choice in conversation; 尾 appears in written or scientific contexts