How do you say "mole" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "mole" is モグラ (mogura). It is a noun pronounced "moh-goo-rah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of mole from Noun Town

Pronunciation

モグラ is written in katakana. Romanised as mogura, it sounds roughly like "moh-goo-rah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

動物園でモグラを見ました。

Doubutsuen de Mogura wo mimashita.

I saw a mole at the zoo.

Usage notes

Mogura (モグラ) is the Japanese word for mole. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about モグラ

How do you pronounce モグラ?

モグラ is romanised as mogura. Say it roughly like "moh-goo-rah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is モグラ formal or casual?

モグラ 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 モグラ written in Japanese?

モグラ 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.