雀（すずめ、suzume）
- sparrow

The Japanese word 雀, read as すずめ (suzume), means "sparrow." It refers to a small, common bird known for its chirping and its frequent presence in urban and rural environments in Japan. 雀 are often seen as symbols of resilience and adaptability, as they thrive in diverse habitats.

⚫︎公園に雀がたくさんいます。 Translation: There are many sparrows in the park. ⚫︎窓の外で雀がさえずっています。 Translation: A sparrow is chirping outside the window. ⚫︎子供たちは餌を求めて飛んできた雀にパンくずをあげました。 Translation: The children gave breadcrumbs to the sparrows that flew over looking for food.

You can use 雀 in any context where you're referring to a sparrow. It's a common and straightforward word. It's suitable for describing the bird itself, its behavior, or its presence in a particular location.

⚫︎The word is primarily written using the kanji 雀. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is すずめ. ⚫︎There are no variations in the okurigana.

There aren't many direct synonyms for 雀 because it refers to a specific type of bird. However, you could use more general terms like "bird" (鳥, tori) if the specific species isn't important.

There isn't a direct antonym for 雀. You would use different words to describe other types of birds (e.g., カラス (karasu) for crow) or the absence of birds.

あの木の枝に雀がとまっています。 ・Translation: A sparrow is perched on that tree branch. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the location of a sparrow.

私は毎朝、雀のさえずりで目が覚めます。 ・Translation: I wake up every morning to the chirping of sparrows. ・Explanation: This sentence describes how someone wakes up because of a sparrow.

The etymology of 雀 is not definitively known, but it's believed to have originated from an old Japanese word related to the bird's characteristic sounds or behaviors.