A1 noun Neutral #3,703 most common

tori /to̞ɾi/

A general term for birds, which are feathered, winged, egg-laying, vertebrate animals. In a culinary context, it often refers specifically to chicken meat.

Examples

3 of 5
1

公園でたくさんの鳥が鳴いています。

Many birds are singing in the park.

2

本日は、珍しい渡り鳥の観測データをご報告いたします。

Today, I will report the observation data of a rare migratory bird.

3

見て、あの青い鳥、すごくきれい!

Look, that blue bird is so beautiful!

Word Family

Noun
Related
鳥類
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Memory Tip

The Kanji 鳥 looks like a standing bird: the top is the crest/head, the middle box with the dot is the body/eye, and the four dots at the bottom represent its tail feathers.

Quick Quiz

空に___が飛んでいます。

Correct!

The correct answer is:

Examples

1

公園でたくさんの鳥が鳴いています。

everyday

Many birds are singing in the park.

2

本日は、珍しい渡り鳥の観測データをご報告いたします。

formal

Today, I will report the observation data of a rare migratory bird.

3

見て、あの青い鳥、すごくきれい!

informal

Look, that blue bird is so beautiful!

4

鳥類は恐竜の進化系統における唯一の生存者である。

academic

Birds are the only survivors in the evolutionary lineage of dinosaurs.

5

新商品のパッケージには、自由を象徴する鳥のイラストを採用しました。

business

For the new product packaging, we adopted an illustration of a bird symbolizing freedom.

Word Family

Noun
Related
鳥類

Common Collocations

鳥が鳴く a bird sings/chirps
鳥が飛ぶ a bird flies
鳥を飼う to keep a bird (as a pet)
鳥の巣 a bird's nest
鳥の羽 a bird's feather

Common Phrases

一石二鳥

killing two birds with one stone

鳥肌が立つ

to get goosebumps

飛ぶ鳥を落とす勢い

with a force so powerful it could bring down a flying bird

Often Confused With

vs 鶏 (niwatori)

Niwatori specifically means chicken, whereas tori is the general word for any bird.

vs 取る (toru)

The pronunciation is similar, but 'toru' is a verb meaning 'to take'.

📝

Usage Notes

Tori is a very common A1 word. When ordering food in Japan, 'tori' or 'toriniku' usually refers to chicken.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Beginners sometimes forget to use the specific counter 'wa' (羽) when counting birds, using 'tsu' instead.

💡

Memory Tip

The Kanji 鳥 looks like a standing bird: the top is the crest/head, the middle box with the dot is the body/eye, and the four dots at the bottom represent its tail feathers.

📖

Word Origin

Derived from the Old Japanese word 'tori', potentially linked to the verb 'tobu' (to fly).

Grammar Patterns

Counter: 羽 (wa). Example: 三羽 (san-ba) - three birds. Japanese nouns do not have plural forms; context or counters indicate quantity.
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Cultural Context

In Japan, certain birds like the crane (tsuru) represent longevity and are highly revered in traditional art.

Quick Quiz

空に___が飛んでいます。

Correct!

The correct answer is:

Related Phrases

Related Words

少量

A1

A noun used to describe a small quantity or amount of something. It is commonly used in technical, formal, or instructional contexts like recipes and science to specify a limited volume or mass.

一人

A1

Refers to a single person or the state of being alone. It is used both for counting people and to describe performing an action by oneself without others.

三人

A1

Refers to the count of three people. In Japanese, this is the standard way to quantify human beings once you move past the irregular forms for one and two people.

一度

A1

Refers to a single occurrence or 'once'. It is frequently used to count how many times an action happens or to express the experience of doing something at least one time.

二度

A1

Refers to something occurring twice or for a second time. It is frequently used as an adverbial phrase to describe repetition, or with a negative verb to mean 'never again.'

三度

A1

Refers to something occurring three times or a measurement of three degrees (such as temperature or angle). In daily conversation, it is frequently used as a counter for frequency or occurrences.

何度

A1

Nando is an interrogative noun used to ask 'how many times' (frequency) or 'how many degrees' (temperature or angles). It is formed by combining 'nan' (what) and the counter 'do' (degrees/times).

毎回

A1

The word 毎回 means 'every time' or 'each time.' it refers to an action or event that occurs consistently across every individual instance of a repeating situation.

今回

A1

Refers specifically to the current instance, event, or occasion. It is used to distinguish the present situation from past occurrences or future possibilities.

前回

A1

Zenkai refers to the previous time or the last occasion an event occurred. It is a very common word used to compare current results or situations with the most recent occurrence in a series.

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