How do you say "alpaca" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "alpaca" is アルパカ (arupaka). It is a noun pronounced "ah-roo-pah-kah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of alpaca from Noun Town

Pronunciation

アルパカ is written in katakana. Romanised as arupaka, it sounds roughly like "ah-roo-pah-kah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

アルパカは昼間よく眠ります。

Arupaka wa hiruma yoku nemurimasu.

A alpaca often sleeps during the day.

Usage notes

Arupaka (アルパカ) is the Japanese word for alpaca. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about アルパカ

How do you pronounce アルパカ?

アルパカ is romanised as arupaka. Say it roughly like "ah-roo-pah-kah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is アルパカ formal or casual?

アルパカ is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is アルパカ written in Japanese?

アルパカ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.