豹
hyō[ço̞ː]
The English word panther can be translated into Japanese as 豹 (hyō) or パンサー.
Meaning: big cat of genus Panthera (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 豹 | hyō | [ço̞ː] (narrow) |
| パンサー | pansā |
The term is used to refer to a big cat of the genus Panthera.
Which one should you use?
The kanji form 豹 (hyō) is typically used in scientific, biological or formal literary contexts to refer to the genus or the species of leopard/panther.
How do you pronounce it?
hyō
Did you know?
- The phrase 豹変 (hyōhen), meaning 'to change suddenly', uses the word 豹 because leopards were historically believed to change their appearance instantly.
- Though it looks like a unique Japanese word, 豹 is actually a borrowed character from Middle Chinese, originally pronounced 'paew'.
- While 豹 is the correct term for a leopard, a black panther is specifically called 黒豹 (kurohyō), combining the word for 'black' with the word for 'leopard'.
Examples in context
- 旅行中、ガイドがヒョウの生態について教えてくれました。During our trip, the guide taught us about the ecology of panthers.
- あの猫はまるで黒豹のようだ。That cat looks just like a panther.
- 豹はとても速い動物です。Hyou wa totemo hayai doubutsu desu.A panther is a very fast animal.
- その豹の模様は美しい。Sono hyou no moyou wa utsukushii.The panther's pattern is beautiful.
- 動物園で豹を見ました。Doubutsuen de hyou o mimashita.I saw a panther at the zoo.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- 結衣 Yuiあの豹、かっこいいですね。Ano hyou, kakkoii desu ne.That panther is cool, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だ。とても強そうだ。Hontou da. Totemo tsuyosou da.It really is. It looks very strong.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さんは豹が好きですか？Hiroto-san wa hyou ga suki desu ka?Hiroto, do you like panthers?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、かっこいい動物だと思います。Hai, kakkoii doubutsu da to omoimasu.Yes, I think they are cool animals.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “panther” translations and entries 豹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 豹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
