How do you say "kangaroo" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "kangaroo" is カンガルー (kangarū). It is a noun pronounced "kah-n-gah-roo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of kangaroo from Noun Town

Pronunciation

カンガルー is written in katakana. Romanised as kangarū, it sounds roughly like "kah-n-gah-roo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

カンガルーは昼間よく眠ります。

Kangarū wa hiruma yoku nemurimasu.

A kangaroo often sleeps during the day.

Usage notes

Kangarū (カンガルー) is the Japanese word for kangaroo. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about カンガルー

How do you pronounce カンガルー?

カンガルー is romanised as kangarū. Say it roughly like "kah-n-gah-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is カンガルー formal or casual?

カンガルー 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 カンガルー written in Japanese?

カンガルー 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.