騾馬
raba[ɾa̠ba̠]
The English word 'mule' is translated into Japanese as 騾馬 (raba). Wiktionary also lists ミュール (myūru).
Meaning: offspring of male donkey and female horse (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 騾馬 | raba | [ɾa̠ba̠] (narrow) |
| ミュール | myūru | [mʲɨːɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term refers to the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.
Which one should you use?
ミュール is a loanword from English and is frequently used in modern Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
raba
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese, if you use the katakana ミュール, you are more likely to be talking about a type of shoe than an animal. This is because 'mule' as a fashion term is very common in Japanese retail.
- While 'mule' is often translated as 騾馬, a Japanese speaker might use the word ラバ (raba) to refer to the animal in general. This is a phonetic adaptation of the Portuguese word 'burro'.
- Donkeys and mules were historically so rare in Japan that the word for donkey, 驢馬, did not appear in records until the late 1400s.
Examples in context
- その騾馬はとても丈夫です。Sono rama wa totemo joubu desu.That mule is very strong.
- 騾馬が荷物を運んでいます。Rama ga nimotsu o hakonde imasu.A mule is carrying the luggage.
- 昔の農村では騾馬がよく使われました。Mukashi no nouson de wa rama ga yoku tsukawaremashita.Mules were often used in old farming villages.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are at a zoo.
- 結衣 Yui健太、あれは騾馬だよ。Kenta, are wa roba dayo.Kenta, that is a mule.
- 健太 Kenta騾馬って、馬とロバの子供なの？Roba tte, uman to roba no kodomo nano?Is a mule the offspring of a horse and a donkey?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、正解！Un, seikai!Yes, that's right!
- 健太 Kenta面白いね。Omoshiroi ne.That's interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mule” translations and entries 騾馬, ミュール, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ミュール, 騾馬, CC BY-SA 4.0.
