ワニ

noun

crocodile; alligator

General term for crocodilians; in everyday Japanese, ワニ covers both crocodiles and alligators without strict biological distinction.

• オーストラリアでワニを見みた。

  I saw a crocodile in Australia.

• ワニは爬は虫ちゅう類るいです。

  Crocodiles are reptiles.

noun

shark

Archaic meaning; in old Japanese, わに could refer to a shark or a large sea creature. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 古こ事じ記きには、ワニが海うみの大おおきな魚さかなとして登とう場じょうする。

  In the Kojiki, ワニ appears as a large sea fish.