チンチラ
chinchira[t͡ɕĩɲ̟t͡ɕiɾa̠]
The English word "chinchilla" is translated into Japanese as チンチラ (chinchira).
チンチラ is the noun used to refer to the chinchilla, a type of rodent.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as chinchira.
Did you know?
- Japanese pet owners often use the word もふもふ (mofu-mofu) to describe the feeling of a チンチラ, a word that has no direct English translation but mimics the sound of fluffiness.
- While チンチラ refers to the animal, the term チンチラ生地 describes a specific type of high-pile, faux-fur fabric used in Japanese fashion.
- The word チンチラ is a phonetic mirror of its Spanish origin, passing from Spanish to English and then to Japanese in a linguistic relay.
Examples in context
- チンチラを飼っていますか？Do you own a chinchilla?
- チンチラの毛がとても柔らかいですね。Chinchilla fur is very soft, isn't it?
- チンチラは活発で可愛いペットです。Chinchillas are active and cute pets.
- チンチラはとても柔らかい毛をしています。Chinchira wa totemo yawarakai ke o shite imasu.Chinchillas have very soft fur.
- この店ではチンチラを売っています。Kono mise de wa chinchira o utte imasu.This shop sells chinchillas.
- 私の夢はチンチラを飼うことです。Watashi no yume wa chinchira o kau koto desu.My dream is to keep a chinchilla.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a pet shop window.
- 健太 Kentaあのチンチラ、すごく可愛いね！Ano chinchira, sugoku kawaii ne!That chinchilla is so cute!
- 美咲 Misaki本当！ふわふわで触りたくなっちゃう。Hontō! Fuwafuwa de sawaritaku natchau.Really! It looks so fluffy I want to touch it.
- 健太 Kenta美咲はチンチラを飼ってみたい？Misaki wa chinchira o katte mitai?Misaki, do you want to try keeping a chinchilla?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、いつか絶対に飼いたいな。Un, itsuka zettai ni kaitai na.Yes, I definitely want to keep one someday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinchilla” translations and entries チンチラ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries チンチラ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
