카피바라
kapibara[kʰa̠pʰiba̠ɾa̠]
The English word capybara is translated into Korean as 카피바라 (kapibara).
The term refers to the large rodent of the genus Hydrochoerus.
Meaning: Hydrochoerus (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
kapibara
Did you know?
- In South Korea, the 카피바라 has become a viral internet symbol of extreme social ease and 'chill' energy, often used in memes to describe someone who gets along with everyone.
- Korean social media users often pair the word 카피바라 with the phrase 'healing' to describe the calming effect of watching these animals on video.
- The Korean transcription 카피바라 follows a strict phonetic borrowing pattern from English, meaning there is no native Korean root for this specific animal.
Examples in context
- 카피바라는 정말 귀여워요.kapibara-neun jeongmal gwiyowayo.The capybara is really cute.
- 동물원에서 카피바라를 봤어요.dongmulwon-eseo kapibara-reul bwasseoyo.I saw a capybara at the zoo.
- 카피바라는 물을 좋아해요.kapibara-neun mul-eul joahaeyo.Capybaras like water.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Hyeon-woo are watching a nature documentary together.
- 지은 Ji-eun저 카피바라 좀 봐!jeo kapibara jom bwa!Look at that capybara!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말 순해 보인다.jeongmal sunhae boinda.It looks so gentle.
- 지은 Ji-eun현우 씨는 카피바라 좋아해요?Hyeon-u ssi-neun kapibara joahaeyo?Hyeon-woo, do you like capybaras?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 아주 좋아해요.ne, aju joahaeyo.Yes, I like them a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “capybara” translations and entries 카피바라, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 카피바라, CC BY-SA 4.0.
