サイ
sai
The Japanese word for rhino is サイ (sai).
サイ is a noun used to refer to a rhinoceros.
Meaning: short form of rhinoceros (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is sai.
Did you know?
- While the modern word is simply サイ, ancient Japanese texts occasionally used the term 犀牛 'saigyu', literally meaning 'rhinoceros cow', reflecting an early misunderstanding of the animal's biology.
- The word サイ is a homophone for several other common words, including 'dice' and 'prediction'.
- Historically, the horn of the サイ was a highly sought-after ingredient in traditional Japanese medicine, often used to treat fevers.
Examples in context
- 昨日、サイを動物園で見たよ。I saw a rhino at the zoo yesterday.
- サイはとても力強い動物です。Sai wa totemo chikara-zuyoi dobutsu desu.Rhinos are very powerful animals.
- 動物園でサイを見ました。Doubutsuen de sai o mimashita.I saw a rhino at the zoo.
- あのサイは角が大きいです。Ano sai wa tsuno ga ookii desu.That rhino has a large horn.
Example conversation
Hana and Kenta are looking at animals at the zoo.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、見て！あそこにサイがいるよ。Kenta, mite! Asoko ni sai ga iru yo.Kenta, look! There is a rhino over there.
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。すごく大きいね。Hontou da. Sugoku ookii ne.You're right. It's huge.
- 陽葵 Himariサイの角がすごいね。Sai no tsuno ga sugoi ne.The rhino's horn is amazing.
- 健太 Kentaそうだね。迫力があるな。Sou da ne. Hakuryoku ga aru na.Yeah. It's really powerful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry サイ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
