Japanese word

動物園

Pronunciation

Romajidōbutsuen

Meaning

  • nounzoo

Example

家族と動物園へ行きました。ka zoku to dō butsu en e i ki ma shi ta

I went to the zoo with my family.

Illustration for 動物園 (zoo)

More examples

家族と動物園で動物を見ます。ka zoku to dō butsu en de dō butsu o mi ma su

I see animals at the zoo with my family.

動物園では、いろいろな動物を近くで見られます。dō butsu en de wa i ro i ro na dō butsu o chika ku de mi ra re ma su

At the zoo, you can see many different animals up close.

Core concept

Refers to a public place that brings many kinds of animals together for people to observe.

Common phrases

  • 動物園に行くdō butsu en ni i ku

    go to the zoo

  • 動物園の動物dō butsu en no dō butsu

    zoo animals

Definition in Japanese

さまざまな動物を飼って展示する施設。sa ma za ma na dō butsu o ka tte ten ji su ru shi setsu

Word origin

The noun 動物園 (dōbutsuen) combines 動物 (dōbutsu, "animal") with 園 (en, "garden or park"), forming the idea of an animal garden.

Usage tips

  • In everyday English, zoo can also describe a very noisy or disorganized place, especially when many people are present.

Word lists with this word