What does “tsubasa” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “tsubasa” to mean ‘wing’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word and its usages through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “tsubasa” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “tsubasa”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “tsubasa”.
- tsubasa – 翼 (つばさ) : a noun meaning ‘wing’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Basically, this kanji character is pronounced “tsubasa” and means ‘wing’ or ‘wings’ in Japanese. In the industrial field, however, it is often pronounced “yoku” instead. In this case, it means ‘airfoil’, ‘aerofoil’, or ‘vane’. So, we need to use a proper pronunciation depending on the field where the word is used. Learn more about Japanese pronunciations.
Then, let me explain how to use this noun through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “wings” in Japanese
boku wa tenshi no tsubasa wo mi ta – 僕は天使の翼を見た (ぼくはてんしのつばさをみた)
I saw the wings of an angel.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- tenshi – 天使 (てんし) : a noun meaning ‘angel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “tenshi” and “tsubasa”. The formed phrase literally means ‘wings of an angel’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is very similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “tenshi no tsubasa”, to make the object in the sentence.
- mi – 見 (み) : one conjugation of the verb, “miru“, which means ‘to see’, ‘to look’, ‘to watch’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “mi” to make its past tense form, “mi ta”.
This is a typical usage of “tsubasa”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “tenshi no tsubasa”, which means ‘the wings of an angel’.
Example #2: another usage of “tsubasa”
tsubasa wa totemo shirokat ta – 翼はとても白かった (つばさはとてもしろかった)
The wings were very white.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works to emphasize the meaning of the following word.
- shirokat – 白かっ (しろかっ) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “shiroi“, which means ‘white’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “tsubasa”. In this example, it works as the subject word in the sentence. When we want to say “wing” or “wings” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “tsubasa” and how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- tsubasa – 翼 (つばさ) : a noun meaning ‘wing’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Basically, this kanji character is pronounced “tsubasa” and means ‘wing’ or ‘wings’. In the industrial field, however, it is often pronounced “yoku” instead. In this case, it means ‘airfoil’, ‘aerofoil’, or ‘vane’. So, we need to use a proper pronunciation depending on the field where the word is used.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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