PhraseNinja

Proverbs

Japanese meaning of 鳶が鷹を生む

とびがたかをうむ (Tobi ga taka o umu)

English Translation:

A kite gives birth to a hawk / Ordinary parents, an extraordinary child

Scene:

Meaning & Cultural Context

Meaning:

Ordinary parents have a child who is far more talented than they are.
日本語で読む
平凡な親から、すぐれた子どもが生まれること。

Cultural Context:

It praises the child, but it also calls the parents ordinary, so saying it to someone else's parents can sound rude.
日本語で読む
子どもをほめる言葉ですが、親を平凡だと言うことにもなるので、相手の親に向かって言うと失礼になることがあります。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

•「鳶」= a black kite, a common bird (read とび or とんび). •「生む」= to give birth to.
日本語で読む
•「鳶」は「とび」または「とんび」と読む身近な鳥。•「生む」は子どもや卵をうむこと。

Trap for English Speakers

鷹 is the fine bird and 鳶 the ordinary one. It is the opposite of 蛙の子は蛙.
日本語で読む
鷹がすぐれた鳥、鳶がふつうの鳥のたとえです。「蛙の子は蛙」とは反対の意味です。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. 両親とも運動が苦手なのに、息子はオリンピック選手になった。鳶が鷹を生んだね。

    Both parents are bad at sports, but their son became an Olympic athlete. Talk about a kite giving birth to a hawk.

Example 2Applied Example

  1. 平凡な農家の子が、里いちばんの忍びになった。まさに鳶が鷹を生む。

    The child of an ordinary farming family became the best ninja in the village. A kite truly gave birth to a hawk.

See more →

Quick check

Meaning

What does 「鳶が鷹を生む」 mean?

More questions: Proverbs quiz →