ポニー
ponī[po̞ɲ̟iː]
In Japanese, the English phrase "pony" is translated as ポニー (ponī). Wiktionary also lists 子馬 (kouma) and 小馬 (kouma).
Meaning: small horse (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ポニー | ponī | [po̞ɲ̟iː] (narrow) |
| 子馬 | kouma | |
| 小馬 | kouma |
The term refers to a small horse.
Which one should you use?
While ポニー is a loanword used specifically to refer to the pony breed or type of small horse, 子馬 (kouma) refers more generally to a young horse (foal).
How do you pronounce it?
ponī
Did you know?
- The word 駒 (koma) originally referred to a young horse or pony but now most commonly refers to a piece used in a board game or a spinning top.
- The term ポニー is also used in Japanese fashion and beauty to describe a 'pony-tail' hairstyle, shortened from ポニーテール.
- In Japanese, the word 駒 (koma) is often used in literature and idioms to refer to a horse, but it can also mean a 'piece' in a game like chess. This creates a metaphor where a person is a 'piece' being moved by someone else.
Examples in context
- 馬とポニーって、何が違うの？What's the difference between a horse and a pony?This sentence is useful for asking about the difference between a horse and the form ポニー.Tatoeba #12001880 by small_snow, translation #8841590 by Hybrid
- 私の世界では誰もがポニーで、虹を食べて蝶のうんこをしている。In my world everyone’s a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies.This sentence uses the form ポニー in a highly imaginative context.Tatoeba #1198933 by Imp, translation #1194666 by Imp
- わが家には、小さい馬がいます。We have a pony at our house.
- あのポニーはとても可愛いです。Ano ponī wa totemo kawaii desu.That pony is very cute.
Example conversation
A father and daughter are at a petting zoo.
- 陽葵 Himariパパ、あのポニーに触ってもいい？Papa, ano ponī ni sawattemo ii?Dad, can I touch that pony?
- 蓮 Renうん、いいよ。優しく触ってね。Un, ii yo. Yasashiku sawatte ne.Yes, you can. Please touch it gently.
- 陽葵 Himariわあ、ポニーの毛がふわふわ！Wā, ponī no ke ga fuwafuwa!Wow, the pony's fur is so fluffy!
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。とても可愛いね。Hontō da ne. Totemo kawaii ne.You're right. It's very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pony” translations and entries ポニー, 子馬, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
