グリフォン
gurifon[ɡɯ̟ɾʲiɸõ̞ɴ]
The English word "griffin" is translated into Japanese as グリフォン (gurifon).
グリフォン refers to the mythical creature characterized by having the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
Meaning: mythical creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is gurifon.
Did you know?
- There is no native Japanese word that captures the specific biological hybridity of a 'griffin' in a single term, necessitating the use of the Katakana loanword.
- In Japanese subcultures like manga or video games, you might see the word グリフィン (gurifin) used instead of グリフォン (gurifon).
- While グリフォン is used in fantasy contexts, if you were describing a similar creature in traditional Japanese folklore, you would likely use terms for 'yokai' instead of Western mythological names.
Examples in context
- 彼【かれ】はグリフィンについての本を読んでいます。He is reading a book about griffins.
- 伝説にはグリフォンが登場します。Densetsu ni wa gurifon ga toujou shimasu.A griffin appears in the legend.
- あの絵にはグリフォンが描かれています。Ano e ni wa gurifon ga kakarete imasu.A griffin is painted in that picture.
- グリフォンはとても強そうな生き物ですね。Gurifon wa totemo tsuyosou na ikimono desu ne.A griffin is a very strong-looking creature, isn't it?
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at a fantasy art book.
- 蓮 Renこの生き物は何という名前？Kono ikimono wa nan to iu namae?What is this creature called?
- 陽葵 Himariこれはグリフォンだよ。Kore wa gurifon dayo.This is a griffin.
- 蓮 Renかっこいいデザインだね。Kakkoii dezain dane.It's a cool design.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、私も大好き。Un, watashi mo daisuki.Yeah, I love them too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “griffin” translations and entries グリフォン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
