動物園
dōbutsuen[do̞ːbɯ̟t͡sɨẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese word for "zoo" is 動物園 (dōbutsuen).
動物園 is a noun used to describe a park where live animals are exhibited.
Meaning: park where live animals are exhibited (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
dōbutsuen
Did you know?
- An English speaker might expect the word for 'zoo' to be a loanword like 'zū', but the native Japanese term 動物園 is built from purely descriptive kanji characters.
- The first part of the word, 動物 (dōbutsu), literally translates to 'moving thing' or 'moving object'.
- Japanese zoos often use 'animal-themed' signage and mascots called 'yuru-chara' to make the 動物園 feel more welcoming and cute to children.
Examples in context
- 動物園に行こう。Let's go to the zoo.This sentence shows how to suggest going to the 動物園.Tatoeba #9540641 by small_snow, translation #3817976 by CK
- 昨日動物園に行った。I went to the zoo yesterday.This sentence describes an action of going to the 動物園 in the past.Tatoeba #5217 by bunbuku, translation #1876 by Swift
- 私は動物園へ行った。I went to the zoo.This sentence is an alternative way to express traveling to the 動物園.Tatoeba #154827 by tommy_san, translation #259713 by CK
- 私たちは週末に動物園へ行きました。We went to the zoo over the weekend.
- 今度の日曜日、友達と動物園（どうぶつえん）に行く予定だよ。I'm planning to go to the zoo with my friends this Sunday.
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are planning a weekend outing.
- 美咲 Misaki今週末、動物園に行きませんか？Konshuumatsu, doubutsuen ni ikimasen ka?Would you like to go to the zoo this weekend?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね。動物園は大好きです。Ii desu ne. Doubutsuen wa daisuki desu.That sounds good. I love the zoo.
- 美咲 Misakiあそこにはパンダがいますよ。Asoko ni wa panda ga imasu yo.They have pandas there.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれは楽しみですね！Sore wa tanoshimi desu ne!I'm looking forward to it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zoo” translations and entries 動物園, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 動物園, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
