How do you say "chimp" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "chimp" is チンパンジー (chinpanjī). It is a noun pronounced "chee-n-pah-n-jee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of chimp from Noun Town

Pronunciation

チンパンジー is written in katakana. Romanised as chinpanjī, it sounds roughly like "chee-n-pah-n-jee" to an English ear.

Example sentence

チンパンジーは昼間よく眠ります。

Chinpanjī wa hiruma yoku nemurimasu.

A chimp often sleeps during the day.

Usage notes

Chinpanjī (チンパンジー) is the Japanese word for chimp. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about チンパンジー

How do you pronounce チンパンジー?

チンパンジー is romanised as chinpanjī. Say it roughly like "chee-n-pah-n-jee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is チンパンジー formal or casual?

チンパンジー 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 チンパンジー written in Japanese?

チンパンジー 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.