Japanese word

獣

Pronunciation

Romajikemono

Meaning

  • nounanimal

Example

山で獣を見ました。yama de kemono o mi ma shi ta

I saw an animal in the mountains.

Illustration for 獣 (animal)

More examples

詩人は、荒野を歩く獣の孤独を描いています。shi jin wa kō ya o aru ku kemono no ko doku o ega i te i ma su

The poet is portraying the loneliness of an animal walking through the wilderness.

Core concept

Refers to a living creature viewed as nonhuman, often with a wild or untamed quality.

Common phrases

  • 獣の気配kemono no ke hai

    signs of an animal

  • 獣を追い払うkemono o o i hara u

    drive an animal away

  • 獣の足跡kemono no ashi ato

    an animal's footprints

Similar words

動物dōbutsu: A living creature that can move, grow, and respond to its surroundings.
野獣yajū: A wild animal that lives apart from human care or control.
猛獣mōjū: A powerful wild animal that poses a serious danger to people or other animals.

Definition in Japanese

人間以外の生き物、特に野生のもの。nin gen i gai no i ki mono toku ni ya sei no mo no

Word origin

獣 (kemono, "animal") is the native Japanese word for a nonhuman creature, written with the kanji 獣; no more specific historical derivation of the word is securely established.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese fantasy, 獣 (kemono) often names a nonhuman creature with a wild nature, so it can sound more dramatic than the neutral English word animal.

Other meanings

  • beastnoun
  • brutenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 獣性jūseianimal naturenoun
  • 獣化kemonokaanimalizationnoun
  • 獣的jūtekibeastlyna-adjective

Word lists with this word