How do you say "orangutan" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "orangutan" is オランウータン (oranūtan). It is a noun pronounced "oh-rah-n-oo-tah-n".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of orangutan from Noun Town

Pronunciation

オランウータン is written in katakana. Romanised as oranūtan, it sounds roughly like "oh-rah-n-oo-tah-n" to an English ear.

Example sentence

オランウータンが草原を走っています。

Oranūtan ga sogen wo hashitte imasu.

A orangutan is running across the field.

Usage notes

Oranūtan (オランウータン) is the Japanese word for orangutan. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about オランウータン

How do you pronounce オランウータン?

オランウータン is romanised as oranūtan. Say it roughly like "oh-rah-n-oo-tah-n" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is オランウータン formal or casual?

オランウータン 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 オランウータン written in Japanese?

オランウータン 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.