How do you say "tiger" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "tiger" is トラ (tora). It is a noun pronounced "toh-rah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of tiger from Noun Town

Pronunciation

トラ is written in katakana. Romanised as tora, it sounds roughly like "toh-rah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

あのトラはとても可愛いです。

Ano Tora wa totemo kawaii desu.

That tiger is very cute.

Usage notes

Tora (トラ) is the Japanese word for tiger. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about トラ

How do you pronounce トラ?

トラ is romanised as tora. Say it roughly like "toh-rah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is トラ formal or casual?

トラ 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 トラ written in Japanese?

トラ 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.