How to Say "Monkey" in Japanese

猿

saru[sa̠ɾɯ̟]

The Japanese word for "monkey" is 猿 (saru).

猿 is a noun used to refer to the primate.

Meaning: primate (noun)

How do you pronounce it?

saru

The word saru shares a phonetic similarity with the word for 'to leave' 去る, making monkeys symbols of warding off evil or illness in some traditions.
In Japanese folklore, the saru is often seen as a messenger of the deity Kōshin, representing a blend of animal instinct and spiritual guidance.
Japanese has a specific term yukimi-zaru for 'snow monkeys', which literally translates to 'snow-viewing monkeys'.

猿が俺のバナナを食べやがった。
The monkey ate my banana.
Tatoeba #12593329 by small_snow, translation #11094976 by ddnktr
その太った女性は猿を抱きかかえていた。
The fat woman was holding a monkey.
Tatoeba #1211966 by bunbuku, translation #388608 by CK
「ごめん、反省してる」「反省だけなら猿でもできるよ」
"I'm sorry. I reflected on what I did." "Reflected on what you did? That's something that even a monkey could do!"
Tatoeba #3179554 by tommy_san, translation #3182853 by WestofEden
科学教育では、日本の猿は非常に興味深いです。
In science education, Japanese monkeys are highly interesting.
あの公園には、可愛いさるがたくさんいます！
That park has many cute monkeys!
京都の動物園には、面白いザルがいっぱいいます。
Kyoto Zoo has lots of interesting monkeys.
9 more sentences on Tatoeba

Hana and Yota are looking at animals at the zoo.

陽葵 Himari

見て！あの猿、すごく面白い動きをしてるよ。
Mite! Ano saru, sugoku omoshiroi ugoki o shiteru yo.
Look! That monkey is making such funny movements.
陽太 Yota

本当だ。猿は本当に賢いね。
Hontou da. Saru wa hontou ni kashikoi ne.
You're right. Monkeys are really smart.
陽葵 Himari

陽太君は猿が好き？
Yota-kun wa saru ga suki?
Do you like monkeys, Yota?
陽太 Yota

うん、猿のいたずら好きなところが好きだな。
Un, saru no itazura-zuki na tokoro ga suki da na.
Yeah, I like how mischievous monkeys are.

Sources

Wiktionary, “monkey” translations and entries 猿, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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