ジンベエザメ
jinbēzame
The English phrase whale shark is translated into Japanese as ジンベエザメ (jinbēzame).
ジンベエザメ refers to the species Rhincodon typus.
Meaning: Rhincodon typus (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is written in Katakana, which is the standard script used for biological names of animals in Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
jinbēzame
Did you know?
- The name ジンベエザメ is believed to stem from 'jinbei', a traditional Japanese waterproof fabric used for heavy work. The shark's distinctive white spots are thought to resemble the patterns found on these sturdy, patterned garments.
- While ジンベエザメ is the biological name, these animals are often called ジンベエさん in Japanese aquariums. Adding さん treats the shark as a polite person rather than a fish.
- While the word サメ means 'shark', the specific shift to ザメ in ジンベエザメ is a linguistic phenomenon called 'rendaku' used to make the word easier to pronounce as a compound.
Examples in context
- 「ジンベイザメは世界最大の魚です。」The whale shark is the largest fish in the world.
- 「あのくじらはジンベイザメだよ！」That whale is a whale shark!
- ジンベエザメはとても大きいです。Jinbeezame wa totemo ookii desu.The whale shark is very large.
- 水族館でジンベエザメを見ました。Suizokukan de jinbeezame o mimashita.I saw a whale shark at the aquarium.
- ジンベエザメは泳ぐのが速いです。Jinbeezame wa oyogu no ga hayai desu.Whale sharks swim fast.
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are looking at a guidebook together.
- 陽太 Yotaここに大きなジンベエザメがいますね。Koko ni ookina jinbeizame ga imasu ne.There is a big whale shark here, isn't there?
- 結衣 Yui本当だ！とてもかっこいいですね。Hontou da! Totemo kakkoii desu ne.You're right! It's so cool.
- 陽太 Yota本物を見に行きませんか。Honmono o mi ni ikimasen ka.Shall we go see a real one?
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。行きましょう！Ii desu ne. Ikimashou!That sounds great. Let's go!
