雨林
urin[ɯ̟ɾʲĩɴ]
The English word "rainforest" is translated into Japanese as 雨林 (urin). Wiktionary also lists 多雨林 (taurin).
Meaning: type of forest (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 雨林 | urin | [ɯ̟ɾʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 多雨林 | taurin | [ta̠ɯ̟ɾʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
The term 雨林 refers to a type of forest. While it is a literal translation of rainforest, the more common term for a tropical rainforest is 熱帯雨林.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 雨林 is composed of the characters for 'rain' (雨) and 'forest' (林).
Which one should you use?
While 雨林 is the literal translation of 'rainforest', it is often used in scientific or technical contexts. In contrast, 熱帯雨林 is the standard term used in general conversation and media to refer to tropical rainforests.
How do you pronounce it?
urin
Did you know?
- Japanese speakers use the word 密林 'dense forest' or 'jungle' more often than 雨林 when describing the adventurous or dangerous aspect of a rainforest.
- When discussing the destruction of the 熱帯雨林, Japanese media often uses the phrase 地球の肺 'lungs of the Earth'.
- The character for 'forest', 林, is a pictogram of two trees, which visually suggests a much smaller scale than the 'forest' character 森, which is composed of three trees.
Examples in context
- 何千ヘクタールもの熱帯雨林が毎日失われている。Thousands of hectares of tropical rainforest are being lost every day.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the loss of tropical rainforests using 雨林.Tatoeba #1005855 by mookeee, translation #2698884 by WestofEden
- アマゾンは美しいジャングルで有名です。The Amazon is famous for its beautiful rainforest.
- この雨林には珍しい植物がたくさんある。Kono urin ni wa mezurashii shokubutsu ga takusan aru.There are many rare plants in this rainforest.
- 雨林の生態系を守ることが大切だ。Urin no seitaikei o mamoru koto ga taisetsu da.It is important to protect the rainforest ecosystem.
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking about a documentary they watched.
- 結衣 Yuiこの雨林の映像、本当にきれいだね。kono urin no eizō, hontō ni kirei da ne.The footage of this rainforest is really beautiful.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。緑がとても濃いね。sō da ne. midori ga totemo koi ne.It is. The green is very deep.
- 結衣 Yui大翔君は雨林に行ってみたい？Hiroto-kun wa urin ni itte mitai?Hiroto, do you want to go to a rainforest?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、ぜひ行ってみたいよ。un, zehi itte mitai yo.Yes, I would definitely love to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rainforest” translations and entries 雨林, 多雨林, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
