How do you say "gorilla" in Japanese?

ゴリラ

gorira

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "gorilla" is ゴリラ (gorira).

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Pronunciation

ゴリラ is written using katakana. Romanised as gorira, it sounds roughly like "goh-ree-rah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Gorira is katakana for gorilla, a loanword from English. Japanese uses this borrowed term for the African ape rather than creating a native description.

Example sentence

子供たちはゴリラを見て喜んでいます。

Kodomotachi wa Gorira wo mite yorokondeimasu.

The children are delighted to see the gorilla.

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How to remember ゴリラ

Katakana 'gorilla' directly imports the English name for this powerful ape.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more zoo words.

Questions about ゴリラ

How do you pronounce ゴリラ?

ゴリラ is romanised as gorira. Say it roughly like "goh-ree-rah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ゴリラ formal or casual?

ゴリラ 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 ゴリラ written in Japanese?

ゴリラ is written using katakana. Gorira is katakana for gorilla, a loanword from English.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Gorilla" in other languages

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