狼おおかみ

also: おおかめ · おいぬ

お

か

み

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

wolf

The animal Canis lupus. Used in everyday language, folklore, and idioms.

森もりで狼おおかみの遠とお吠ぼえが聞きこえた。
We heard a wolf howling in the distance in the forest.
狼おおかみは群むれで行こう動どうする。
Wolves act in packs.

2

noun

wolf in sheep's clothing; womanizer

Figurative use: a person who appears gentle but is predatory, especially a seducer or womanizer. Often used in set phrases like 狼の皮をかぶった羊.

彼かれは優やさしそうに見みえるが、実じつは狼おおかみだ。
He looks gentle, but he's actually a wolf in sheep's clothing.
あの男おとこは狼おおかみだから気きをつけて。
Be careful of that man; he's a womanizer.

Written forms

狼Usage65%
- おおかみ
  Standard kanji spelling for 'wolf'.
- おいぬ
  out-dated reading
- おおかめ
  out-dated reading
オオカミUsage28%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used in biological contexts or for emphasis.
おおかみUsage7%
Kana spelling, common in children's books or when avoiding kanji.
おおかめ
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana usage; not used in modern Japanese.
おいぬ
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana usage; not used in modern Japanese.

Kanji

狼wolf

Similar words

犬いぬ
犬 means 'dog', a domesticated animal, while 狼 is the wild wolf.
狐きつね
狐 means 'fox', another wild canine often contrasted with the wolf in folklore.

Etymology

The word おおかみ is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 狼 is a Chinese character adopted for its meaning 'wolf'. The historical derivation of the reading is uncertain.