虎
tora[to̞ɾa̠]
The word for tiger in Japanese is 虎 (tora).
虎 refers to the mammal Panthera tigris.
Meaning: The mammal Panthera tigris (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
tora
Did you know?
- While tigers are not native to Japan, the word 虎 is ancient and was used in Old Japanese long before the animal was ever seen in the wild there.
- Some linguists suggest that 虎 might actually be a loanword from an ancient Korean place name, spelled 刀良 as /*tora/.
- In certain traditional Japanese contexts, the tiger is often depicted fighting or paired with the dragon, a classic duality not always present in Western depictions.
Examples in context
- これは虎じゃない。This is not a tiger.Tatoeba #7492730 by Ninja, translation #1739147 by CM
- 猫を小さな虎と呼ぶことも、虎を大きな猫と呼ぶこともできる。You can call a cat a small tiger, and a tiger a big cat.Tatoeba #1614183 by Meow, translation #2609484 by WestofEden
- 彼は虎よりも残酷に攻撃した。He attacked more savagely than a tiger.Tatoeba #10075918 by Yanahma, translation #9773273 by DJ_Saidez
- あの美しいとらはどこから来たのですか。Where did that beautiful tiger come from?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a picture book in a library.
- 結衣 Yuiこの虎、すごく強そうだね。Kono tora, sugoku tsuyosou da ne.This tiger looks really strong.
- 陽太 Yotaうん、本物の虎はもっと大きいよ。Un, honmono no tora wa motto ookii yo.Yeah, a real tiger is even bigger.
- 結衣 Yui陽太くんは虎が好き？Youta-kun wa tora ga suki?Do you like tigers, Youta?
- 陽太 Yota大好きだよ。かっこいいもん。Daisuki da yo. Kakkoii mon.I love them. They're so cool.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tiger” translations and entries 虎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 虎, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
