Translation guide
The animal donkey. In Japanese, the most common word is ロバ, a loanword from Spanish/Portuguese. The native Japanese word うさぎうま is rare and literary. There are no common metaphorical extensions like 'stubborn person' that map directly to a single Japanese animal word.
ロバ
donkey (animal)
Referring to the domesticated donkey, the animal.
The standard modern word for donkey. Used in everyday speech, children's books, and zoology.
あの牧場にはロバがいます。
There is a donkey on that farm.
ロバは馬より小さいです。
Donkeys are smaller than horses.
A rare, literary native Japanese word for donkey. Literally 'rabbit-horse'. Not used in modern conversation.
In English, calling someone a 'donkey' can imply stubbornness. In Japanese, ロバ does not carry this connotation. To describe a stubborn person, use 頑固な人 (がんこなひと) or 強情な人 (ごうじょうなひと).
古い文献に「うさぎうま」という言葉が出てくる。
The word 'usagiuma' appears in old documents.