What is the difference between "とり" and "鳥"?

"とり" means "bird" (N5), whereas "鳥" represents "bird" (N4).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "とり (tori)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

とり (tori)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

とり (tori)

N4 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "とり (tori)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

とり (Level: N5): Translates to "bird" and is used when Refers to birds as animals. Can be pets or wild birds..
鳥 (Level: N4): Maps to "bird" and carries the nuance of Refers to flying animals. Can be used for specific types of birds like 小鳥.

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "とり"

空に鳥が飛んでいます。

Birds are flying in the sky.

Bilingual Context for "鳥"

空に鳥が飛んでいます。

A bird is flying in the sky.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "空に鳥が飛んでいます。" (Meaning: "Birds are flying in the sky.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "とり" is used for "bird" in the context: "Birds are flying in the sky.".