How do you say "piranha" in Japanese?

ピラニア

pirania

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "piranha" is ピラニア (pirania).

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Pronunciation

ピラニア is written using katakana. Romanised as pirania, it sounds roughly like "pee-rah-nee-ah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Pirania in katakana is directly borrowed from Portuguese/English. Piranhas are exotic South American fish, entirely foreign to Japanese fauna.

Example sentence

子供たちはピラニアを見て喜んでいます。

Kodomotachi wa Pirania wo mite yorokondeimasu.

The children are delighted to see the piranha.

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How to remember ピラニア

Piranha - pirania. Fearsome fish with sharp teeth. The 'rania' ending sounds sharp like biting teeth.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about ピラニア

How do you pronounce ピラニア?

ピラニア is romanised as pirania. Say it roughly like "pee-rah-nee-ah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ピラニア formal or casual?

ピラニア 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 ピラニア written in Japanese?

ピラニア is written using katakana. Pirania in katakana is directly borrowed from Portuguese/English.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Piranha" in other languages

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