Translation guide
The English term 'guinea pig' can refer to the animal or to a test subject. This guide covers both meanings and how to express them naturally in Japanese.
Referring to the small rodent commonly kept as a pet.
The standard Japanese word for the animal. Derived from Dutch 'marmot'.
Referring to someone or something used in an experiment or trial.
実験台 is more direct and can sound slightly more serious or negative. モルモット is a bit softer and more colloquial, but both are widely understood. 被験者 is strictly for human subjects in formal contexts.
Our guinea pig is very friendly.
Literally 'India rat'. A less common, more formal or scientific term.
Guinea pigs are native to South America.
Literally 'experiment table'. The most common way to say 'guinea pig' in the sense of a test subject. Can be used for people or animals.
It's scary to be used as a guinea pig for a new drug.
He used his own body as a guinea pig to try a new treatment.
The animal word is also used metaphorically for a test subject, similar to English. Common in casual speech.
New employees are always treated like guinea pigs.
Formal term for a human test subject in a clinical trial or experiment.
We are recruiting subjects for a clinical trial.
Specifically 'laboratory animal'. Used when the test subject is an animal, not a person.
The ethical treatment of laboratory animals is being debated.