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ジンベエザメ (じんべえざめ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ジンベエザメ

じ

ん

べ

え

ざ

め

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

whale shark

usually written using kana alone

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest known fish species. The name is thought to derive from the pattern resembling a jinbei (甚兵衛) garment.

See also: 甚平鮫

ジンベエザメはプランクトンを食たべる。
Whale sharks eat plankton.
沖おき縄なわの

海うみ

で

ジンベエザメ

と

泳およ

い

だ

。

I swam with a whale shark in the sea off Okinawa.

Written forms

ジンベエザメ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
甚じん兵べ衛え鮫ざめ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Kanji

甚tremendously, very, great
兵soldier, private, troops
衛defense, protection
鮫shark

Similar words

甚じん平べい
A traditional Japanese garment; the whale shark's name may be derived from its pattern resembling this clothing.
鮫さめ
General term for shark; ジンベエザメ is a specific species.

Etymology

The name likely comes from 甚兵衛 (jinbei, a traditional garment) + 鮫 (same, shark), referring to the shark's spotted pattern resembling the jinbei pattern. The exact origin is uncertain.