くちばし
くちばし
noun
beak; bill (of a bird)
1.
beak; bill
The hard, pointed mouth part of a bird. Can also be written as 嘴 in kanji, though the kana form is more common.
鳥のくちばしが黄色い。
The bird's beak is yellow.
ペリカンは大きなくちばしを持っている。
Pelicans have large beaks.
親鳥がくちばしでひなに餌を運んでいた。
The parent bird was carrying food to the chick in its beak.
くちばし comes from 口 (mouth) + 端 (edge/tip). Usually written in kana; the kanji 嘴 is rarely used.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- くちばしが長い: has a long beak
- くちばしで突く: to peck with its beak
- くちばしで餌を運ぶ: to carry food in its beak
IDIOM:
くちばしを挟む means to butt into someone else's conversation or business. Equivalent to the English "to stick one's nose in."
- くちばしを挟むな: Don't butt in!
NOTE:
The shape and size of a bird's beak is a key topic in nature documentaries and science education in Japan, so this word appears often in those contexts.