ヒル
ひる
noun
leech
1.
leech (blood-sucking worm)
A blood-sucking aquatic or terrestrial worm. In Japan, mountain leeches (ヤマビル) are commonly encountered during hiking in forested, humid areas.
山でヒルに吸われた。
I was bitten by a leech in the mountains.
梅雨の時期はヒルが多いので注意してください。
Please be careful, as there are many leeches during the rainy season.
登山の前にヒル対策として塩水スプレーを用意した。
Before the mountain climb, I prepared a salt water spray as a countermeasure against leeches.
Usually written in katakana as ヒル when referring to the animal. The kanji 蛭 exists but is rarely used in everyday writing. Mountain leeches (山蛭/ヤマビル) are a well-known hazard for hikers in Japan, particularly in warm, humid months.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ヒルに吸われる: to be bitten (sucked) by a leech
- ヒル対策: leech countermeasures
- ヤマビル (山蛭): mountain leech — the most commonly encountered species in Japan
- ヒルが付く: a leech attaches
CULTURAL NOTE:
In areas of Japan where ヤマビル are common, trailheads sometimes have salt shakers or repellent available. Salt is the traditional method for removing a leech.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 蛭: leech (kanji form) — same word, less common spelling
- ヤマビル: mountain leech — the specific species hikers encounter