水牛
suigyū[sɨiɡʲɨː]
The English phrase "water buffalo" is translated into Japanese as 水牛 (suigyū). Wiktionary also lists 呉牛 (gogyū).
Meaning: large ungulate (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 水牛 | suigyū | [sɨiɡʲɨː] (narrow) |
| 呉牛 | gogyū | [ɡo̞ɡʲɨː] (narrow) |
The term refers to the large ungulate mammal.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 水牛 is composed of the characters for "water" (水) and "cow/ox" (牛).
Which one should you use?
水牛 is the standard term for water buffalo, while 呉牛 is another form used for the same animal.
How do you pronounce it?
suigyū
Did you know?
- The character 呉 in 呉牛 refers to the ancient state of Wu in China, indicating that the water buffalo was historically viewed as an animal from that specific region.
- In Japanese culture, the 水牛 is often associated with the 'Zen' aesthetic, frequently appearing in traditional ink wash paintings to symbolize a peaceful, rustic existence.
- While 水牛 is the standard term, the kanji for 'buffalo' can sometimes be read as ぎゅう (gyū) instead of the more common 'ushi' when used in compounds, appearing in various biological classifications.
Examples in context
- アジアの田んぼには水牛がいます。Ajia no tanbo ni wa suigyu ga imasu.There are water buffalo in Asian rice fields.
- 水牛の角はとても大きいです。Suigyu no tsuno wa totemo ookii desu.The water buffalo's horns are very large.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at animals in a zoo.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、蓮！あそこに水牛がいるよ。Mite, Ren! Asoko ni suigyū ga iru yo.Look, Ren! There is a water buffalo over there.
- 蓮 Ren本当だ。すごく大きいね。Hontō da. Sugoku ookii ne.You're right. It's huge.
- 美咲 Misaki水牛は泳ぐのが得意なんだって。Suigyū wa oyogu no ga tokui nan datte.I heard water buffalo are good at swimming.
- 蓮 Renへえ、びっくりしたなあ。Hee, bikkuri shita naa.Wow, that's surprising.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water buffalo” translations and entries 水牛, 呉牛, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
