How to say "elephant" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 象ぞうnounThe ordinary word for the elephant, the animal of the family Elephantidae. Use it whenever referring to real or pictured elephants, as in talking about animals at a zoo.
- nounA loanword meaning elephant, but a less common choice that is seldom the word you want; it appears mainly in proper names, titles, or borrowed expressions rather than everyday reference to the animal.
Use 象 for the animal in any ordinary context; 「エレファント」 is a much rarer loanword, mainly in names, titles, or borrowed expressions, and is seldom the word you want.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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