類人猿
ruijin'en[ɾɯ̟iʑĩɰ̃ẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese word for "ape" is 類人猿 (ruijin'en).
類人猿 is used to refer specifically to any primate that is an ape, excluding humans.
Meaning: any such primate other than a human (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 類人猿 is composed of 類 (type/kind), 人 (human) and 猿 (monkey/ape), which literally translates to "human-like monkey".
Which one should you use?
While 類人猿 is the specific term for an ape, the more general term 猿 is often used colloquially to refer to any primate, including monkeys.
How do you pronounce it?
ruijin'en
Did you know?
- In Shinto folklore, the 猿 is often viewed as a divine messenger of the gods, specifically associated with the protection of mountains.
- The phrase 猿も木から落ちる (even monkeys fall from trees) is a common Japanese proverb used to remind people that even experts make mistakes.
- Japanese has a specific word 猿真似 (sarumane), which literally means 'monkey imitation', used to describe someone who copies others without understanding why.
Example conversation
Hana and Ren are looking at a book about animals.
- 陽葵 Himariこの類人猿、顔が人間みたいだね。kono ruijinsaru, kao ga ningen mitai dane.This ape's face looks like a human's.
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。すごく似ているよ。hontou dane. sugoku niteiru yo.You're right. It looks very similar.
- 陽葵 Himari類人猿にはどんな種類があるの？ruijinsaru ni wa donna shurui ga aru no?What kinds of apes are there?
- 蓮 Renチンパンジーやゴリラなどがいるよ。chinpanjii ya gorira nado ga iru yo.There are chimpanzees, gorillas, and others.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 類人猿, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
