ヒヒ
hihi
The Japanese word for baboon is ヒヒ (hihi).
ヒヒ is the noun used to refer to the primate known as a baboon.
Meaning: primate (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is hihi.
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the phrase ヒヒ can also be used as a sound effect in manga to represent a creepy or sinister giggle.
- The word ヒヒ is an onomatopoeia meant to mimic the loud, shrieking sounds baboons make.
- The Japanese macaque, or 'snow monkey', is often confused with the ヒヒ by beginners, but they are entirely different species with different names.
Examples in context
- ヒヒはとても力強い動物です。Hihi wa totemo chikarazuyoi dōbutsu desu.Baboons are very powerful animals.
- 動物園で大きなヒヒを見ました。Dōbutsuen de ōkina hihi o mimashita.I saw a large baboon at the zoo.
- あのヒヒは毛が長いですね。Ano hihi wa ke ga nagai desu ne.That baboon has long hair, doesn't it?
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are looking at a book about animals.
- 大翔 Hirotoこのヒヒ、顔が面白いね。Kono hihi, kao ga omoshiroi ne.This baboon has a funny face.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だ！大翔君、これ見て。Hontō da! Hiroto-kun, kore mite.You're right! Hiroto, look at this.
- 大翔 Hirotoすごく強そうなヒヒだ。Sugoku tsuyosō na hihi da.It looks like a very strong baboon.
- 陽葵 Himari陽葵もそう思う。Himari mo sō omou.Himari thinks so too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ヒヒ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
