How do you say "orangutan" in Japanese?

オランウータン

oranūtan

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "orangutan" is オランウータン (oranūtan).

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Pronunciation

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

Writing and usage

Oranūtan is a katakana loanword from English 'orangutan'. The macron indicates vowel length in Japanese phonetics for this Southeast Asian ape.

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.

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How to remember オランウータン

Katakana 'orangutan' with extended vowel preserves the English name.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

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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-noo-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. Oranūtan is a katakana loanword from English 'orangutan'.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Orangutan" in other languages

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