Japanese Conversation · Level 2
86 words
Japanese word
さる
Pronunciation
Romajisaru
Meaning
- nounmonkey
Example
動物園でさるを見ます。dō butsu en de sa ru o mi ma su
I see a monkey at the zoo.
More examples
さるが水を飲みます。sa ru ga mizu o no mi ma su
A monkey drinks water.
親のさるが子どもを抱いています。oya no sa ru ga ko do mo o ida i te i ma su
An adult monkey is holding its baby.
Core concept
Refers to a primate with a humanlike face and grasping hands, often living in trees.
Common phrases
さるを見るsa ru o mi ru
watch a monkey
さるの親子sa ru no oya ko
a monkey and its young
さるの群れsa ru no mu re
a troop of monkeys
Definition in Japanese
霊長類に属し、人に似た顔つきや手足を持つ動物。rei chō rui ni zoku shi hito ni ni ta kao tsu ki ya te ashi o mo tsu dō butsu
Word origin
The simple native noun さる (saru) has been used since Old Japanese, while no certain explanation of its deeper etymology is known.
Usage tips
- In Japanese, さる (saru) can mean either one monkey or several monkeys because ordinary nouns do not usually mark number, so context supplies the difference.