Translation guide
The English word 'scab' can refer to a crust over a wound, a skin disease in plants or animals, or a strikebreaker. This guide focuses on the most common meaning for learners: the crust that forms over a healing wound.
The hard, dry covering that forms over a cut or sore as it heals.
The standard, everyday word for a scab on a person or animal. Used in both spoken and written Japanese.
転んだら、ひざにかさぶたができた。
When I fell, I got a scab on my knee.
かさぶたをはがすと、また血が出るよ。
If you pick the scab, it'll bleed again.
The kanji form of かさぶた. Rarely used in modern writing; the kana form is strongly preferred.
瘡蓋が自然に取れるまで待ちましょう。
Let's wait until the scab comes off naturally.
A contagious skin disease causing itching and scabs, especially in animals.
The medical/veterinary term for scabies or mange. Used for both humans and animals.
犬が疥癬にかかって、毛が抜けてしまった。
The dog got mange and lost its fur.
General term for skin disease. Not specific to scabs, but can be used when the exact condition is unknown.
A fungal disease causing scabby lesions on plants, especially fruit trees and potatoes.
Specifically apple scab or pear scab, characterized by dark spots. Common in gardening contexts.
リンゴの木が黒星病にかかった。
The apple tree got scab.
General term for scab disease in plants, especially potato scab. Used in agriculture.
ジャガイモにそうか病が発生した。
Scab broke out on the potatoes.
A person who works during a strike, or refuses to join a union.
The most direct equivalent, literally 'strike breaker'. Used in labor contexts.
会社はスト破りを雇って工場を動かした。
The company hired scabs to keep the factory running.
A more descriptive phrase meaning 'person who breaks a strike'.
彼はストライキを破る人として非難された。
He was criticized as a scab.
A scab (かさぶた) is temporary and falls off; a scar (傷跡, きずあと) is the permanent mark left after healing. Using かさぶた for a scar is incorrect.
かさぶたが取れたら、きれいな傷跡が残った。
When the scab came off, a clean scar remained.
That cat is covered in scabs from a skin disease.