野牛
yagyū[ja̠ɡʲɨː]
The English word 'bison' is translated into Japanese as 野牛 (yagyū). Wiktionary also lists アメリカ野牛 (Amerika yagyū).
Meaning: American bison, Bison bison (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 野牛 | yagyū | [ja̠ɡʲɨː] (narrow) |
| アメリカ野牛 | Amerika yagyū |
The term refers to the American bison (*Bison bison*). Modern Japanese also frequently uses the katakana loanword バイソン to refer to the animal.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 野牛 is composed of the characters for 'wild' (野) and 'ox/cow' (牛), literally meaning 'wild ox'.
Which one should you use?
野牛 is the formal or biological term for the animal. In contrast, the loanword バイソン is more common in casual conversation or media.
How do you pronounce it?
yagyū
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 'buffalo' is often translated as バッファロー, but this specifically refers to the water buffalo of Asia, whereas バイソン is reserved for the American kind.
- In Japanese pop culture and gaming, バイソン is frequently used for character names or powerful boss monsters to evoke an image of raw strength, regardless of the animal's actual presence.
- The character 牛 in 野牛 is shared with the Japanese zodiac, where it represents the 'ox' and is associated with diligence and patience.
Examples in context
- コロンブスがアメリカ大陸を発見したとき、バイソン（アメリカ野牛）は、広大な地域に棲んでいた。When Columbus discovered America, bison (American buffalo) inhabited a wide-ranging area.This sentence is useful for seeing how 野牛 is used when discussing the historical range of bison.Tatoeba #466999 by blay_paul, translation #467000 by blay_paul
Example conversation
Looking at a picture book about animals.
- 美咲 Misakiこの動物は野牛だよ。kono doubutsu wa yagyuu dayo.This animal is a bison.
- 陽太 Yotaすごい迫力だね！sugoi hakuryoku dane!It looks so powerful!
- 美咲 Misaki北アメリカに住んでいるんだって。kita amerika ni sunde iru ndatte.I heard they live in North America.
- 陽太 Yota一度見てみたいな。ichido mite mitai na.I want to see one someday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bison” translations and entries 野牛, アメリカ野牛, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
