恐竜
kyōryū[kʲo̞ːɾʲɨː]
The Japanese word for dinosaur is 恐竜 (kyōryū).
恐竜 is a noun used to refer to prehistoric reptiles.
Meaning: prehistoric reptile (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 恐 (fear/dread) and 竜 (dragon), literally meaning 'dreaded dragon'.
How do you pronounce it?
kyōryū
Did you know?
- The word 恐竜 is a linguistic calque, meaning it was created by translating the Greek roots of the Latin name into Japanese characters.
- If you see the character 竜 in a different form, such as 龍, it is a more traditional, complex way to write 'dragon' often found in older texts or names.
- Japanese pop culture often uses the term 恐竜 in 'kaiju' movies, where dinosaurs and giant monsters share similar biological tropes.
Examples in context
- 彼は恐竜の骨を盗んだことで非難された。He was accused of stealing dinosaur bones.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 恐竜 when discussing the theft of dinosaur bones.Tatoeba #1935110 by avirex, translation #1935061 by Spamster
- 恐竜はとても大きかった。Kyōryū wa totemo ōkikatta.The dinosaur was very large.
- 子供は恐竜が大好きだ。Kodomo wa kyōryū ga daisuki da.The child loves dinosaurs.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are at a natural history museum.
- 美咲 Misaki健太、見て！すごい恐竜がいるよ。Kenta, mite! Sugoi kyōryū ga iru yo.Kenta, look! There is an amazing dinosaur.
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。どの恐竜が一番好き？Hontō da. Dono kyōryū ga ichiban suki?You're right. Which dinosaur do you like best?
- 美咲 Misaki私はティラノサウルスが好き。Watashi wa Tiranosaurusu ga suki.I like the Tyrannosaurus.
- 健太 Kentaかっこいいよね。Kakkoii yo ne.It's cool, isn't it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dinosaur” translations and entries 恐竜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 恐竜, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
