鱗（うろこ、uroko）
- scale (fish)

The Japanese word 鱗 (うろこ) primarily refers to scales. Specifically, it describes the small, often overlapping plates that cover the skin of fish, reptiles, and certain other animals. It can also be used metaphorically to describe something that resembles scales in appearance or structure.

⚫︎ 魚の鱗 Translation: Fish scales ⚫︎ 蛇の鱗 Translation: Snake scales ⚫︎ その建物の外壁は、鱗のような模様だった。 Translation: The exterior wall of that building had a scale-like pattern.

This word is used to describe the physical characteristics of animals and objects. It's a common term in contexts related to biology, animals, and sometimes even architecture or design when referring to scale-like patterns. You can use it in conversations about fish, snakes, dragons, or other creatures that have scales.

⚫︎ The word is most commonly written using the kanji 鱗. ⚫︎ The hiragana reading is うろこ. ⚫︎ There are no significant variations in the okurigana.

There are no direct synonyms in Japanese that mean exactly "scales." However, words related to similar textures or patterns could be used in a descriptive manner, depending on the context.

There are no direct antonyms for 鱗. The concept of "smoothness" or "lack of texture" could be considered an opposite in a descriptive sense, but there's no single word that acts as a direct antonym.

その魚は美しい銀色の鱗で覆われていた。 ・Translation: That fish was covered in beautiful silver scales. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 鱗 to describe the appearance of a fish's skin.

ドラゴンは硬い鱗で体を守っている。 ・Translation: The dragon protects its body with hard scales. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 鱗 to describe the protective covering of a dragon.

The etymology of 鱗 is not definitively known, but it is believed to be an old Japanese word. The kanji 鱗 itself combines elements related to fish and structure, reflecting its meaning.