小 魚(こざかな)

こざかな

noun

small fish; whitebait

1. small fish; small fry (used as food)

Small fish such as anchovies, sardines, and whitebait, often eaten whole and prized for their calcium content. Also a general term for any small fish.

小魚(こざかな)を食(た)べる。

I eat small fish.

小魚(こざかな)は骨(ほね)ごと食(た)べられて栄養(えいよう)がある。

Small fish can be eaten bones and all, and are nutritious.

川(かわ)の浅瀬(あさせ)で小魚(こざかな)の群(む)れがきらきらと泳(およ)いでいた。

A school of small fish was swimming and glinting in the shallows of the river.

Compound of 小(こ) (small) + 魚(さかな), with rendaku turning さかな into ざかな. Often refers to small dried fish (おやつ or topping) but also any small live fish.

Common collocations

小魚(こざかな)の群(む)れ: a school of small fish
小魚(こざかな)を釣(つ)る: to catch small fish
カルシウム豊富(ほうふ)な小魚(こざかな): calcium-rich small fish
アーモンド入(い)り小魚(こざかな): small fish snack with almonds

Similar words

雑魚(ざこ): small fish (collectively); also figurative "small fry" — more colloquial; can be derogatory of people
しらす: whitebait — specifically tiny young sardines/anchovies
大魚(たいぎょ): large fish — antonym

general

Added 2026.6.4 11:08 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

28500/28694_kozakana