How do you say "cheetah" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "cheetah" is チーター (chītā). It is a noun pronounced "chee-tah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of cheetah from Noun Town

Pronunciation

チーター is written in katakana. Romanised as chītā, it sounds roughly like "chee-tah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

子供たちはチーターを見て喜んでいます。

Kodomotachi wa Chītā wo mite yorokondeimasu.

The children are delighted to see the cheetah.

Usage notes

Chītā (チーター) is the Japanese word for cheetah. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about チーター

How do you pronounce チーター?

チーター is romanised as chītā. Say it roughly like "chee-tah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is チーター formal or casual?

チーター 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 チーター written in Japanese?

チーター 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.