How to Say "Predator" in Japanese

捕食者

hoshokusha

The Japanese word for predator is 捕食者 (hoshokusha).

捕食者 refers to an animal or organism that hunts.

Meaning: animal or organism that hunts (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of 捕 (to capture), 食 (to eat) and 者 (person/agent).

While 捕食者 is a general term, 被食者 is its morphological counterpart used to mean prey, utilizing the prefix 被 (to receive/be subjected to).

hoshokusha

The word 捕食 can be used as a verb to describe not just animals, but also predatory business practices or aggressive corporate takeovers in Japanese financial news.
The character 捕 (to capture) is also used in the word for 'arrest', meaning the linguistic roots of 'predator' and 'police action' overlap in Japanese.
The prefix 被 in the word for prey, 被食者, is used across the language to denote the passive side of a transaction, appearing in legal terms for 'victims' or 'accused'.

攻撃性のもっとも顕著なタイプは捕食者と被食者間によく見られる。
The most visible forms of aggression are often seen between prey and predator.
This sentence is useful for seeing how to express the relationship between a predator (捕食者) and prey.
Tatoeba #393564 by Scott, translation #393566 by Scott
捕食者が獲物を求めている。
The predator is seeking its prey.
ライオンは強力な捕食者です。
Raion wa kyōryoku na hoshokusha desu.
Lions are powerful predators.
森の中に捕食者が潜んでいる。
Mori no naka ni hoshokusha ga hisonde iru.
A predator is hiding in the forest.

Two people are watching a nature documentary on TV.

健太 Kenta

あの動物は、生態系のトップにいる捕食者ですね。
Ano dōbutsu wa, seitaikei no toppu ni iru hoshokusha desu ne.
That animal is a predator at the top of the ecosystem, isn't it?
美咲 Misaki

はい、とても強そうです。
Hai, totemo tsuyosō desu.
Yes, it looks very strong.
健太 Kenta

捕食者が増えると、環境が変わることもあります。
Hoshokusha ga fueru to, kankyō ga kawaru koto mo arimasu.
If the number of predators increases, the environment can change.
美咲 Misaki

自然のバランスは難しいですね。
Shizen no baransu wa muzukashii desu ne.
The balance of nature is difficult, isn't it?

Sources

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