センザンコウ
senzankō
The Japanese word for pangolin is センザンコウ (senzankō).
センザンコウ is a noun used to refer to the pangolin, a type of mammal.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is senzankō.
Did you know?
- The name センザンコウ comes from the kanji 穿山甲, which literally translates to 'mountain-piercing armor'.
- The word センザンコウ is written in katakana, which is typically used for foreign loanwords, even though the animal's name is derived from Chinese characters.
- While センザンコウ is the official term, Japanese speakers may describe the animal as ウロコアリクイ, meaning 'scale-anteater'.
Examples in context
- センザンコウは珍しい動物です。senzankou wa mezurashii doubutsu desu.Pangolins are rare animals.
- 図鑑でセンザンコウを見つけました。zukan de senzankou o mitsukemashita.I found a pangolin in a picture book.
- センザンコウの鱗はとても硬いです。senzankou no uroko wa totemo katai desu.The scales of a pangolin are very hard.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a nature documentary at a cafe.
- 大翔 Hirotoさっき、センザンコウの映像を見たよ。sakki, senzankou no eizou o mita yo.I just saw a video of a pangolin.
- 美咲 Misakiあの珍しい動物のこと？ano mezurashii doubutsu no koto?The one about that rare animal?
- 大翔 Hirotoそう、とても可愛かったよ。sou, totemo kawai katta yo.Yes, it was very cute.
- 美咲 Misaki私も見てみたい！watashi mo mite mitai!I want to see it too!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry センザンコウ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
