ホッキョクグマ
hokkyokuguma
The English phrase "polar bear" is translated into Japanese as ホッキョクグマ (hokkyokuguma).
The term refers to the species Ursus maritimus.
Meaning: Ursus maritimus (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of hokkyoku, meaning "North Pole" and kuma, meaning "bear".
How do you pronounce it?
hokkyokuguma
Did you know?
- Japanese speakers may use the word クマ to refer to the dark circles under one's eyes, comparing them to the markings of a bear.
- Japanese children often refer to a polar bear as シロクマ, which means 'white bear', rather than the formal ホッキョクグマ.
- The word ホッキョクグマ is written in katakana here because it is a biological species name, but it can also be written in kanji as 北極熊.
Examples in context
- 昨日、ホッキョクグマを見ました。I saw a polar bear yesterday.This sentence is useful for practicing how to state that you saw a ホッキョクグマ.Tatoeba #13709798 by small_snow, translation #12096063 by VoiceLessQ
- 本日、博物館で見られる生物の一つは、シロクマです。Today, one of the animals you can see at the museum is the polar bear.
- オモチャのシロクマちゃん、可愛いね！The toy polar bear is so cute, right?
- ホッキョクグマはとても大きいです。Hokkyokuguma wa totemo ookii desu.Polar bears are very big.
- 図鑑でホッキョクグマを調べました。Zukan de hokkyokuguma o shirabemashita.I looked up a polar bear in a guidebook.
Example conversation
Hana and Kenta are looking at a picture book.
- 陽葵 Himariこのホッキョクグマ、かわいいね。kono hokkyokuguma, kawaii ne.This polar bear is cute, isn't it?
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。とても大きいね。hontou da. totemo ookii ne.You're right. It's very big.
- 陽葵 Himariどこに住んでいるのかな？doko ni sunde iru no kana?I wonder where they live?
- 健太 Kenta北極に住んでいるよ。hokkyoku ni sunde iru yo.They live in the Arctic.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ホッキョクグマ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
