How to say "hound" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 猟犬りょうけんnounThe noun sense: a dog bred or kept for hunting. Use this for actual hounds as animals — breeds, hunting scenes — not for the verb 'to hound' someone.
- godan verb, transitive verbCovers 'hound' as in pestering someone until you get what you want; the nuance is begging or coaxing rather than confronting. A child hounding a parent for a toy is typical. Usually written in kana.
- 食い下がるくいさがるgodan verb, intransitive verbHound in the sense of keeping after someone and refusing to back down; the emphasis is on persistence, clinging to a demand. Typical when someone will not give up pressing a point despite resistance.
- 詰め寄るつめよるgodan verb, intransitive verbHound as in pressing someone hard, often for an answer or explanation; the nuance is pressing in on the person. Typical of interrogation or confrontation, where you push someone to respond.
Use 猟犬 for the animal; for hounding a person, 「ねだる」 is pestering to get something, 「食い下がる」 is persistently refusing to back down, and 「詰め寄る」 is pressing someone for an answer.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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