How do you say "rabbit" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "rabbit" is ウサギ (usagi). It is a noun pronounced "oo-sah-gee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of rabbit from Noun Town

Pronunciation

ウサギ is written in katakana. Romanised as usagi, it sounds roughly like "oo-sah-gee" to an English ear.

Example sentence

ウサギが草原を走っています。

Usagi ga sogen wo hashitte imasu.

A rabbit is running across the field.

Usage notes

Usagi (ウサギ) is the Japanese word for rabbit. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about ウサギ

How do you pronounce ウサギ?

ウサギ is romanised as usagi. Say it roughly like "oo-sah-gee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ウサギ formal or casual?

ウサギ 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 ウサギ written in Japanese?

ウサギ 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.