レッサーパンダ
ressā panda[ɾe̞sːa̠ː pã̠nda̠]
The English phrase red panda is translated into Japanese as レッサーパンダ (ressā panda).
This term refers to the mammal *Ailurus fulgens*.
Meaning: Ailurus fulgens (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
ressā panda
Did you know?
- The term レッサーパンダ is a direct phonetic borrowing from the English 'lesser panda', which is an older name for the species.
- In Japanese media, red pandas are often associated with the 'healing' concept of iyashi, making them symbols of stress relief.
- While the English name focuses on the animal's color, the Japanese term focuses on its size relative to the giant panda by using レッサー for 'lesser'.
Examples in context
- レッサーパンダはとても可愛いです。Ressāpanda wa totemo kawaii desu.The red panda is very cute.
- 動物園でレッサーパンダを見ました。Dōbutsuen de ressāpanda o mimashita.I saw a red panda at the zoo.
- レッサーパンダが寝ています。Ressāpanda ga nete imasu.A red panda is sleeping.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking at animals at the zoo.
- 蓮 Ren美咲、見て！あそこにレッサーパンダがいるよ。Misaki, mite! Asoko ni ressā panda ga iru yo.Misaki, look! There's a red panda over there.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ！すごくかわいいね。Hontō da! Sugoku kawaii ne.You're right! It's so cute.
- 蓮 Renあんなにゆっくり寝ているよ。Anna ni yukkuri nete iru yo.It's sleeping so peacefully.
- 美咲 Misakiレッサーパンダは本当に癒やされるね。Ressā panda wa hontō ni iyasareru ne.Red pandas are really soothing, aren't they?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red panda” translations and entries レッサーパンダ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries レッサーパンダ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
