猿
monkey
Readings
On'yomi
- エン
Kun'yomi
- さる
Nanori
- さ
- さわ
- ざる
- まし
Meaning
猿 centers on the animal monkey, encompassing both the creature itself and its characteristic traits.
Most common words using 猿
20 of 141- 猿さるN3
monkey (esp. the Japanese macaque, Macaca fuscata); ape; non-human primate
- 類人猿るいじんえん
anthropoid ape; anthropoid; ape
- 犬猿けんえん
cats and dogs (as an example of a bad relationship); dogs and monkeys
- 猿渡りさるわたり
monkey bars; horizontal ladder
- 猿真似さるまね
indiscriminate imitation; monkey see, monkey do; blind follower
- 日本猿にほんざる
Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata)
- 野猿やえん
wild monkey
- 猿楽さるがく
sarugaku (form of theatre popular in Japan during the 11th to 14th centuries)
- 猿轡さるぐつわ
(mouth) gag
- 山猿やまざる
mountain monkey; wild monkey
- 猿山さるやま
artificial mountain in a monkey enclosure (at a zoo, etc.)
- 猿芝居さるしばい
monkey show
- 栗鼠猿りすざる
squirrel monkey (esp. the common squirrel monkey, Saimiri sciureus)
- 赤毛猿あかげざる
rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta); rhesus macaque
- 犬猿の仲けんえんのなかN1
like cats and dogs; (on) very bad terms; relationship of dogs and monkeys
- 猿人えんじん
ape man
- 猿も木から落ちるさるもきからおちるN1
even monkeys fall from trees; anyone can make a mistake; pride comes before a fall; even Homer sometimes nods
- お猿さんおさるさん
monkey
- こけ猿こけざる
foolish monkey
- コイバ吠猿コイバほえざる
Coiba Island howler (Alouatta coibensis)
Study
Etymology
猿 combines the animal radical 犭 with 袁, which likely contributes the sound エン. The character specifically denotes a monkey.
Meaning mnemonic
The animal radical 犭 hints at a beast, and the right side 袁 looks like a long-armed creature with a tail. Picture a monkey swinging through trees.
Reading mnemonic
For エン, imagine an energetic monkey named En, swinging from branch to branch: En -> エン.