noun
Refers to the feathers of birds, including down feathers. Used in both singular and collective senses.
鳥の羽が地面に落ちていた。
A bird's feather was lying on the ground.
この布団は羽がたくさん入っている。
This futon is filled with a lot of down.
noun
Refers to the wing of a bird or insect. Can be used for both the whole wing and the flight feathers.
鳥が羽を広げて飛び立った。
The bird spread its wings and took off.
noun
blade (of a fan, propeller, etc.)
Only when written 羽根
Used for the blades of fans, propellers, turbines, and similar mechanical parts. Often written as 羽根 in this sense.
扇風機の羽根が回っている。
The blades of the electric fan are spinning.
noun
Only with reading はね
Specifically the shuttlecock used in badminton. Reading is はね.
See also: シャトル
バドミントンの羽がネットに引っかかった。
The badminton shuttlecock got caught in the net.
noun
Only when written 羽根
The shuttlecock used in the traditional Japanese game hanetsuki. Also written as 羽子. Kanji form is 羽根.
See also: 羽子 (はご)
お正月に羽根をついて遊んだ。
We played hanetsuki with a shuttlecock during the New Year.
noun
arrow feathers
Only when written 羽根
The feathers attached to an arrow for stabilization. Kanji form is 羽根.
See also: 矢羽 (やばね)
矢羽根の向きを調整する。
Adjust the direction of the arrow feathers.
Common kanji for feather, wing, and blade senses. Also read は in some contexts, but はね is the standard reading.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended kanji is not important.
Native Japanese word. The kanji 羽 is a pictograph of a bird's wing or feather. The reading はね is the standard kun'yomi.