The Meaning of jaguchi [蛇口] In Japanese

蛇口
じゃぐち
Romaji: jaguchi N5

What does 蛇口 mean?

Translation and Meaning

snake mouth, faucet

Definition

What does 蛇口 mean? It refers to a faucet or tap—a plumbing fixture that controls the flow of water from a pipe into a sink, and is used in everyday speech and in technical contexts to denote the water outlet.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • the device that controls water flow from a pipe into a basin, typically mounted on a sink.
  • in diagrams or manuals, 蛇口 denotes the water outlet component of a plumbing system, distinct from hoses, valves, or drains.

Etymology

From 蛇 snake and 口 mouth, the term is read jaguchi in modern Japanese. Historical readings shifted in kanji compounds, with on’yomi for 蛇 and kun’yomi for 口 contributing to the established pronunciation.

Composition

  • 蛇 — snake; 口 — mouth; together they evoke the mouth through which water emerges, linking the imagery to the fixture that releases water

Usage

Used in everyday conversation to refer to a faucet on sinks; in formal or technical writing it may appear alongside 水栓 as a more formal term. In signage and manuals it designates the water outlet, and common verb collocations include 蛇口を開ける, 蛇口を閉める, and 蛇口をひねる.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a snake coiled around the faucet, its mouth controlling the flow when you turn the handle.

Variations

  • 水栓 (すいせん) — faitful synonym; suisen
  • 吐水口 (とすいこう) — related term for the discharge outlet; tosuikou

Example Phrases

  • 台所の蛇口をひねると水が急に出た。
    Daidokoro no jakuchi wo hineru to mizu ga kyū ni deta.
    Water suddenly came out when I turned the faucet in the kitchen.
    Lista:
    • 台所の蛇口 (daidokoro no jakuchi) – kitchen faucet
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • ひねると (hineru to) – when you twist
    • 水が (mizu ga) – water
    • 急に (kyū ni) – suddenly
    • 出た (deta) – came out
    The target word 「蛇口」 means faucet; here it is the object of ひねる.
蛇口