爪（つめ）
JLPT N5 · noun
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, stays high, no drop
Meaning: nail
Example sentences
- 伸びた爪を短く切る。 — I trim my overgrown nails short.
- 爪をきれいにみがく。 — I polish my nails nicely.
Idioms & proverbs containing “爪”
- 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (のうあるたかはつめをかくす) — a wise man keeps some of his talents in reserve; one shouldn't show off; the person who knows most often says least; a skilled hawk hides its talons
- 雪泥鴻爪 (せつでいのこうそう) — ephemeral nature of human deeds and events; evanescence of human affairs; leaving no trace; dust in the wind
- 爪の垢 (つめのあか) — dirt under one's fingernails
- 爪に火をともす (つめにひをともす) — to lead a stingy life; to scrimp and save; to pinch pennies; to light one's (finger)nails (instead of a candle)
- 爪で拾って箕で零す (つめでひろってみでこぼす) — penny wise and pound foolish
- 爪の垢を煎じて飲む (つめのあかをせんじてのむ) — to take a lesson from (someone serving as an example); to learn from someone's example; to boil the dirt under (someone's) fingernails and drink it
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “爪” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)