hippopotamus; hippo
Common animal name; usually written in katakana.
I saw a hippopotamus at the zoo.
Hippos often spend time in the water.
pygmy hippopotamus
pygmy hippopotamus
Katakana spelling is the most common written form.
Hiragana spelling is also used, especially in children's materials.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana.
The kanji 河馬 literally means 'river horse', a calque of the Greek 'hippopotamus'. The reading かば is likely a borrowing from Dutch or Portuguese, but the exact derivation is uncertain.