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動物園 (どうぶつえん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

動どう物ぶつ園えん

ど

う

ぶ

つ

え

ん

Common word›JLPTN5›

Meanings

1

zoo; zoological gardens

Standard word for a zoo or zoological park. No special nuance.

週しゅう末まつに家か族ぞくで動どう物ぶつ園えんに行いった。

We went to the zoo as a family on the weekend.

この動どう物ぶつ園えんにはパンダがいる。

This zoo has pandas.

Usage patterns

動どう物ぶつ園えんに行いくto go to the zoo
週しゅう末まつ、家か族ぞくと動どう物ぶつ園えんに行いった。
I went to the zoo with my family on the weekend.
動どう物ぶつ園えんで〈動どう物ぶつ〉を見みるto see (an) animal(s) at the zoo
動どう物ぶつ園えんでパンダを見みた。
I saw a panda at the zoo.
動どう物ぶつ園えんの飼し育いく員いんa zookeeper
動どう物ぶつ園えんの飼し育いく員いんが象ぞうにえさをやっていた。
The zookeeper was feeding the elephant.

Kanji

動move, motion, change
物thing, object, matter
園park, garden, yard

Related words

水すい族ぞく館かんN3
水族館 houses aquatic creatures like fish and dolphins, whereas 動物園 is a zoo for land animals.

Don't confuse with

植しょく物ぶつ園えんN1
動物園 is a zoo where animals are kept and shown, while 植物園 is a botanical garden for plants—easy to mix up because both end in 園.
水すい族ぞく館かんN3
動物園 houses land animals in outdoor enclosures, whereas 水族館 is an aquarium for fish and sea creatures, so people sometimes confuse which one has which animals.

Word family

人にん間げん動どう物ぶつ園えん
human zoo
動どう物ぶつ園えん仮か説せつ
zoo hypothesis
ふれあい動どう物ぶつ園えん
petting zoo

Built from

動どう物ぶつ+園えん

Etymology

Compound of 動物 (どうぶつ, 'animal') + 園 (えん, 'garden, park'). A straightforward modern coinage.