How to say "crocodile" in Japanese

• わに
  nounCovers the animal generally — both crocodiles and alligators — so it works whenever the distinction between them does not matter. It is usually written in kana rather than with kanji.
  彼かれの足あしはワニにかまれた。↗

  His leg was bitten by a crocodile.
• クロコダイル
  nounA katakana loanword from English. It refers to crocodiles specifically rather than to alligators, so it suits contexts where the English word 'crocodile' itself would be used.
• 鰐魚がくぎょ
  nounA technical term covering the crocodilian group as a whole — crocodiles, alligators and their kin. It belongs to biological or formal writing and is seldom the word you want in ordinary speech.

Use 「わに」 for the animal in general, including alligators; 「クロコダイル」 when you mean crocodiles specifically, via the English loanword; and 鰐魚 for formal or biological references to crocodilians.

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

• わにcrocodile
• クロコダイルcrocodile
• 鰐魚がくぎょcrocodile