動物
dōbutsu[do̞ːbɯ̟t͡sɨ]
The Japanese word for animal is 動物 (dōbutsu). Wiktionary also lists 生物 (seibutsu) and 獣 (kemono).
Meaning: organism other than human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 動物 | dōbutsu | [do̞ːbɯ̟t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 生物 | seibutsu | [se̞ːbɯ̟t͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 獣 | kemono | [ke̞da̠mo̞no̞] (narrow) [ke̞mo̞no̞] (narrow) |
The term is used to refer to animals. It is also the first part of the word for zoo, 動物園, which combines animal with the word for garden or park.
Which one should you use?
動物 refers specifically to animals. In contrast, 生物 is a broader scientific term used to mean any living organism, including plants and bacteria. In casual conversation, people often use 生き物 to refer to animals or any living creature.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective form 生き物の can be used to mean "of animals".
How do you pronounce it?
dōbutsu
Did you know?
- The kanji for 'animal' in 動物 is composed of two parts: 'movement' and 'thing', essentially describing a 'moving thing'.
- The word 獣 (kemono) literally translates to 'thing of hair', reflecting an ancient way of categorizing creatures by their physical traits.
- While 動物 is the standard term for animals, using 獣 often carries a nuance of something wild, dangerous, or untamed.
Examples in context
- 犬は忠実な動物です。A dog is a faithful animal.This sentence shows how to describe a dog as a faithful 動物.Tatoeba #175246 by bunbuku, translation #239220 by AlanF_US
- 象は巨大な動物である。An elephant is an enormous animal.This sentence is used to describe an elephant as an enormous 動物.Tatoeba #146307 by bunbuku, translation #268255 by CK
- この動物はとても賢い。This animal is very clever.This sentence describes an animal as being very clever using 動物.Tatoeba #220317 by bunbuku, translation #57637 by CM
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are visiting a zoo together.
- 結衣 Yuiこの動物園には、珍しい動物がたくさんいますね。Kono doubutsuen ni wa, mezurashii doubutsu ga takusan imasu ne.There are many rare animals in this zoo, aren't there?
- 健太 Kentaはい、どの動物も迫力があってすごいですね。Hai, dono doubutsu mo hakuryoku ga atte sugoi desu ne.Yes, every animal is powerful and amazing.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんは、どの動物が一番好きですか？Kenta-san wa, dono doubutsu ga ichiban suki desu ka?Kenta, which animal do you like the most?
- 健太 Kenta僕はライオンが一番好きです。Boku wa raion ga ichiban suki desu.I like lions the most.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “animal” translations and entries 動物, 生物, 獣, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 動物, 獣, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
