Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

洞穴 (ほらあな) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

洞ほら穴あな

also: どうけつ

ほ

ら

あ

な

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

cave; cavern; grotto

General term for a natural underground hollow or cavity, from small rock shelters to large caverns. Can also refer to animal dens.

その洞ほら穴あなは観かん光こう客きゃくに人にん気きがある。
The cave is popular with tourists.
熊くまが洞

ほら

穴あな

で

冬とう

眠みん

し

て

い

た

。

A bear was hibernating in the den.

Written forms

洞穴Usage91%
- ほらあな
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common reading is ほらあな.
- どうけつ
  On-reading; mainly found in formal or technical contexts, such as geology or archaeology.
ほら穴あなUsage9%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, sometimes used for clarity or in children's materials.
どうけつ

Kanji

洞den, cave, excavation
穴hole, aperture, slit

Similar words

洞どう窟くつ
洞窟 is a more formal or technical term for a cave, often used in scientific contexts, while 洞穴 is a common, everyday word.
巣す穴あな
巣穴 specifically refers to an animal's burrow or nest hole, whereas 洞穴 can refer to any cave or den.

Etymology

The reading ほらあな is a compound of ほら (hollow, cavity) and 穴 (あな, hole). The on-reading どうけつ is from the kanji 洞 (cave) and 穴 (hole).