How to say "creature" in Japanese

• 生物せいぶつJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe ordinary word for a living thing or organism; use it when 'creature' simply means a living being, as in talk about animals and other life forms.
  地球ちきゅう以外いがいの天体てんたいに生物せいぶつはいますか。↗

  Is there life on other worlds?
• 創造物そうぞうぶつ
  nounLiterally 'a created thing', it really means a creation, and is seldom the word you want for 'creature' unless you are thinking of something as the work of a creator.
  科学的かがくてき心理しんりは人間にんげん精神せいしんの創造物そうぞうぶつである。↗

  Scientific truth is a creation of the human mind.
• クリーチャー
  nounThe less common loanword, used mainly for monsters and fantastic beings in games, fantasy fiction, and the like; for an ordinary animal or living thing it is not the natural choice.
• 被造物ひぞうぶつ
  nounUsed in religious and philosophical contexts for something created by the gods; this is the 'creature' of theology, not the word for animals or living things in general.
  神かみは創造者そうぞうしゃです。天てんも地ちも人ひとも、神かみ以外いがいは全すべて被ひ造物ぞうぶつです。↗

  God is the creator. Heaven and Earth and people and everything apart from God are created.

Choose 生物 for living beings in general, 「クリーチャー」 for monsters in games and fantasy, 被造物 for beings created by the gods in religious contexts, and 創造物 when you mean a creation rather than a creature.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 生物せいぶつliving thing
• 創造物そうぞうぶつcreature
• クリーチャーcreature
• 被造物ひぞうぶつsomething created (e.g. by the gods)