General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Comments and corrections welcome.
The Japanese word for swallows in general is ツバメ tsubame, written with the Chinese character 燕. In scientific use ツバメ tsubame refers to Hirundo rustica. Regional words for 'swallow' include つばくらめ tsubakurame, つばくら tsubakura, and つばくろ tsubakuro. These can be represented by the character 燕.
In Japanese haiku, the swallow or 燕 tsubame (or つばくろ tsubakuro or つばくらめ tsubakarame) is a season word for mid-spring. (The word tsubame is also written 乙鳥 based on an old Chinese name for the swallow.)
However, in expressions like 燕帰る tsubame kaeru 'swallows return (to the south)', 去ぬ燕 inu tsubame 'departing swallows', or 残る燕 nokoru tsubame 'remaining swallows', the swallow becomes a season word for mid-autumn.
The word tsubame in Japanese refers to an older woman's young lover.
Species names
ABOUT THIS TABLE (Hover cursor to see) 
| HIRUNDININAE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
JAPANESE |
CHINESE |
KOREAN |
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Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Riparia | |||||||
Riparia riparia |
Collared sand martin Sand martin Bank swallow Hirondelle de rivage Uferschwalbe Береговая ласточка |
ショウドウツバメ (小洞燕) shōdō tsubame 'small hole swallow' |
崖沙燕 'cliff sand swallow' |
灰沙燕 'grey sand swallow' |
沙燕 'sand swallow' |
갈색제비 gal-saek-jebi 'brown-coloured swallow' |
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| Hirundo | |||||||
| Hirundo rustica |
Barn swallow House swallow Swallow Hirondelle rustique Rauchschwalbe Деревенская ласточка |
ツバメ (燕) tsubame 'swallow' |
家燕 'house swallow' |
家燕 'house swallow' |
燕子 'swallow' 拙燕 'clumsy swallow' |
제비 jebi 'swallow' |
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| Hirundo tahitica |
Pacific swallow Hirondelle de Tahiti Südseeschwalbe Тихоокеанская ласточка |
リュウキュウツバメ (琉球燕) Ryūkyū tsubame 'Ryukyu swallow' |
洋燕 'ocean swallow' (2, 4, 5) 洋斑燕 'ocean striped swallow' (1, 3) |
洋燕 'ocean swallow' |
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| Delichon | |||||||
| Delichon dasypus |
Asian house martin Asian house-martin Hirondelle de Bonaparte Kaschmirschwalbe Восточный воронок |
イワツバメ (岩燕) iwa tsubame 'rock swallow' |
烟腹毛脚燕 (煙腹毛腳燕) 'smoky bellied hair-leg swallow' |
東方毛腳燕 'eastern hair-leg swallow' |
흰털발제비 huin-teol-bal-jebi 'white hair-legged swallow' |
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| Cecropis | |||||||
| Cecropis daurica Hirundo daurica |
Red-rumped swallow Golden-rumped swallow Hirondelle rousseline Rötelschwalbe Рыжепоясничная ласточка |
コシアカツバメ (腰赤燕) koshi-aka tsubame 'red-rumped swallow' |
金腰燕 'golden-rumped swallow' |
金腰燕 'golden-rumped swallow' |
巧燕 'skilful swallow' |
귀제비 gwi-jebi 'returning? swallow' |
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Floating Menu by Milonic |
Tool tips by Walter Zorn |
