爬虫類
hachūrui[ha̠t͡ɕɨːɾɯ̟i]
The Japanese word for reptile is 爬虫類 (hachūrui).
爬虫類 is a noun used to refer to a cold-blooded vertebrate.
Meaning: a cold-blooded vertebrate (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
hachūrui
Did you know?
- The first two characters of 爬虫類, 爬 and 虫, combine to literally mean 'crawling insect'.
- While 爬虫類 is the scientific term, Japanese people often use the word へび 'snake' as a generic placeholder for reptiles in casual conversation.
- The kanji 爬 is rarely used in daily life outside of the word 爬虫類 and a few technical terms for climbing or crawling.
Examples in context
- 爬虫類は体が冷たいです。hachuurui wa karada ga tsumetai desu.Reptiles have cold bodies.
- 彼は爬虫類が大好きです。kare wa hachuurui ga daisuki desu.He loves reptiles.
- ここは爬虫類の展示コーナーです。koko wa hachuurui no tenji koona desu.This is the reptile exhibition corner.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are looking at animals at a zoo.
- 陽葵 Himari見て、あの爬虫類はかっこいいね。Mite, ano hachūrui wa kakkoii ne.Look, that reptile is cool.
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。でも、ちょっと怖いな。Hontō da ne. Demo, chotto kowai na.You're right. But it's a bit scary.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮は爬虫類が苦手なの？Ren wa hachūrui ga nigate nano?Are you not fond of reptiles, Ren?
- 蓮 Renうん、鱗がある動物は苦手なんだ。Un, uroko ga aru dōbutsu wa nigate nanda.Yeah, I'm not good with animals that have scales.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 爬虫類, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 爬虫類, CC BY-SA 4.0.
