いぬ
Alternative readings: イヌ
Alternative writings:
JLPT:N5
Frequency:

1A dog -- a domesticated mammal commonly kept as a pet, known for barking, guarding the house, and being taken for walks.

Noun

Examples

毎朝、犬を散歩に連れて行く。

I take the dog for a walk every morning.

近所に新しい犬が引っ越してきたらしい。

It seems a new dog moved in nearby.

子どもたちは公園で犬と遊んでいた。

The children were playing with a dog in the park.

うちの犬は知らない人を見ると吠える。

Our dog barks whenever it sees a stranger.

2A derogatory slang term for an informer, snitch, or spy -- often written in hiragana (いぬ) and used as an insult toward a traitor.

NounDerogatoryUsually Kana

Examples

裏切り者はみんなから「いぬ」と呼ばれた。

The traitor was called a snitch by everyone.

警察に情報を流したことがバレて、彼は仲間から犬呼ばわりされた。

When it came out that he had leaked information to the police, his colleagues branded him a snitch.

3A vulgar insult for a contemptible or worthless person; also used for someone who servilely does another's bidding, i.e. a lapdog.

NounDerogatory

Examples

あいつは会社の犬になって、上司の言いなりだ。

That guy has become the company's lapdog, doing whatever his boss says.

彼は約束を破ったので、仲間から犬呼ばわりされた。

He broke his promise, so his friends called him a worthless dog.

4An old prefix attached to certain words to add the meaning inferior, futile, or counterfeit. In modern Japanese it survives only in a few fixed words such as 犬死に (a pointless, wasted death).

Noun (Prefix)

Examples

昔の言葉では「犬死に」のように、「犬」が「無駄な」という意味を加えることがある。

In old usage, 犬 could form words like 犬死に, adding a sense of futile or wasted.