How to say "moose" in Japanese

• ムース
  nounCovers moose, the large North American and northern Eurasian deer. As a direct loanword it is the clearest choice when you simply mean the animal, though it is less common overall.
  世界せかいで、鹿しかやムースやキジといった野性やせい獣じゅうを狩かることは違法いほうとする国くにが多おおい。↗

  In many parts of the world it is illegal to shoot wild game such as deer, moose or pheasant.
• へらじか
  nounThe native name for the moose (Alces alces), also glossed as elk. It is usually written in kana alone and is less common, but it unambiguously refers to this specific species.
• 大鹿おおじか
  nounCovers moose and elk but also red deer, so it is a looser term for large deer rather than a precise name for the moose. If you need to identify the species specifically, it is seldom the word you want.

For the animal moose, 「ムース」 is the straightforward loanword; 「へらじか」 is the kana native name for the same animal; 大鹿 is a broader, vaguer term that can also mean elk or red deer.

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

• ムースmoose
• へらじかmoose (Alces alces)
• 大鹿おおじかmoose