Tsubasa is the Japanese word for ‘wing’, explained

What does “tsubasa” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “tsubasa” to mean ‘wing’ in Japanese. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word and its usages through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand how to use it. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “tsubasa”
  • Example #1: how to say “wings” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “tsubasa”
• Summary

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 a plural noun meaning ‘wings’. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Basically, this kanji character is pronounced as “tsubasa” and means ‘wing’ or ‘wings’ in Japanese. In the industrial field, however, it is often pronounced as “yoku” instead. In this case, it means ‘airfoil’, ‘aerofoil’, or ‘vane’. This means that we need to choose a proper pronunciation depending on the field where it is used. Learn more about Japanese pronunciations.

Then, let me explain how to use “tsubasa” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “wings” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, it works after “watashi” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• tenshi – 天使 (てんし) : a noun meaning ‘angel’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the preceding noun can work as a modifier to describe the following noun. In the example, this works 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 particle is quite similar to that of “of” in English.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, it works 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. Probably this is well known as a part of Japanese ta 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”

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 is used to express the degree of cuteness.
• kawaikat – 可愛かっ (かわいかっ) : one conjugation of the i-adjective, “kawaii“, which means ‘cute’ 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. Anyway, when we want to say “wing” or “wings” in Japanese, it is the best word.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained “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 a plural noun. Basically, this kanji character is pronounced as “tsubasa” and means ‘wing’ or ‘wings’. In the industrial field, however, it is often pronounced as “yoku” instead. In this case, it means ‘airfoil’, ‘aerofoil’, or ‘vane’. So, we need to be careful with its pronunciation.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.