The Meaning of kazaguruma [風車] In Japanese

風車
かざぐるま
Romaji: kazaguruma N5

What does 風車 mean?

Translation and Meaning

windmill, pinwheel

Definition

Windmill or pinwheel; a device whose blades rotate when wind blows, used as a decorative toy and, in energy contexts, to refer to wind turbines.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Pinwheel toy that spins in light wind, commonly seen in gardens or playgrounds.
  • Windmill or wind turbine used for energy generation in broader, technical contexts.
  • Figurative use to describe anything that relies on wind-powered rotation, though this is less common.

Etymology

風 wind; kun’yomi かぜ. 車 wheel; kun’yomi くるま. The compound is read kazaguruma in kun’yomi.

Composition

  • 風 — wind; kun’yomi: かぜ
  • 車 — wheel; kun’yomi: くるま
  • Combined meaning: a wind-driven wheel, hence a wind-driven device used for either a toy or energy-generation equipment

Usage

  • くだけた場面では風車を庭や公園で飾りとして使い、子どもが風で回す。
  • 公式・技術的な文脈では風力発電の風車を指す表現が多く、風車群や風車基地といった語が用いられる。
  • 説明文では風車の羽根が風を受けて回る様子を描写する際に用いられる。
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: remember the two kanji as wind and wheel, then picture a wheel turning in the wind to activate kazaguruma.

Variations

  • pinwheel — kazaguruma (かざぐるま)
  • wind turbine — fūsha (ふうしゃ)

Example Phrases

  • 公園の風車が風で回っているのを見た。
    Kōen no fūsha ga kaze de mawatte iru no o mita.
    I saw a windmill in the park turning in the wind.
    Lista:
    • 公園 (kōen) – park
    • の (no) – of/possessive particle
    • 風車 (fūsha) – windmill
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 風で (kaze de) – by wind
    • 回っている (mawatte iru) – turning / rotating
    • のを (no o) – nominalizer + object marker
    • 見た (mita) – saw
    O termo 「風車」 significa windmill; aqui funciona como o sujeito da oração, marcado por が, enquanto 回っている indica uma ação contínua.
風車