レプラコーン
repurakōn[ɾe̞pɯ̟ɾa̠kõ̞ːɴ]
The English word leprechaun is translated into Japanese as レプラコーン (repurakōn).
レプラコーン refers to one of a race of Irish elves.
Meaning: one of a race of Irish elves (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is repurakōn.
Did you know?
- Japanese culture has its own legendary small creatures called 座敷童 ('zashiki-warashi') who bring fortune to a house, serving a similar 'luck-bringing' role to the レプラコーン.
- Because it is a borrowed word, Japanese speakers may not immediately associate レプラコーン with 'luck' or 'gold' unless they are familiar with Western culture.
- Because レプラコーン is a loanword, it is written in katakana, the script used for foreign words and onomatopoeia, which distinguishes it from native Japanese mythical creatures.
Examples in context
- アイルランドにはレプラコーンの伝説があります。Airurando ni wa repurakōn no densetsu ga arimasu.There is a legend of the leprechaun in Ireland.
- レプラコーンは緑色の服を着ています。Repurakōn wa midori iro no fuku o kite imasu.The leprechaun wears green clothes.
- 映画に出てきたレプラコーンは可愛かった。Eiga ni detekita repurakōn wa kawaikatta.The leprechaun in the movie was cute.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are looking at a picture book about myths.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの緑色の小さい人は誰？Kono midoriiro no chiisai hito wa dare?Who is this small person in green?
- 美咲 Misakiそれはレプラコーンという妖精だよ。Sore wa repurakōn to iu yōsei dayo.That is a fairy called a leprechaun.
- 大翔 Hirotoレプラコーンはどこに住んでいるの？Repurakōn wa doko ni sunde iru no?Where do leprechauns live?
- 美咲 Misakiアイルランドの森に住んでいるんだよ。Airurando no mori ni sunde iru ndayo.They live in the forests of Ireland.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leprechaun” translations and entries レプラコーン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
