Tanuki is the Japanese word for ‘raccoon dog’, explained

What does “tanuki” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “tanuki” to mean ‘raccoon dog’ in Japanese. Perhaps, this Japanese word has already been exported to English. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “tanuki” more clearly.

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “tanuki”
• Tanuki in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “raccoon dog” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “tanuki”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “tanuki”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “tanuki”.

• tanuki – 狸 (たぬき) : a noun meaning ‘raccoon dog’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a raccoon dog or raccoon dogs in Japanese. So, the usage is very simple. It’s also worth mentioning here that native speakers don’t often use its kanji expression. The hiragana expression, or perhaps the katakana expression depending on the situation, is much more common.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji expression in detail.

Tanuki in kanji

The kanji expression of “tanuki” consists of the following two parts:

• 犭 : a kanji radical widely used in Japanese words related to animals.
• 里 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘village’, ‘countryside’, or such in Japanese.

From these two parts, we can understand that “tanuki” literally means an animal living in the countryside. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but represents well the life of raccoon dogs, I think. Actually, we can often see them in or around the countryside of Japan.

When we meet new kanji characters, we should check their kanji parts in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji parts tell us a lot about meanings of kanji characters they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “tanuki” through the detailed check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “tanuki” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “raccoon dog” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kinou – 昨日 (きのう) : a noun meaning ‘yesterday’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb.
• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “kinou” and “yoru”. The formed phrase literally means ‘yesterday’s night’ in Japanese. It has been translated just as “last night”, though.
• yoru – 夜 (よる) : a noun meaning ‘night’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “tanuki” to make the object in the sentence.
• mi – 見 (み) : one conjugation of the verb, “miru”, which means ‘to see’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• mashi – まし : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “masu”, which is used after a verb to make it polite. In the example, this is used after “mi” to make it sound polite.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “mi mashi” to make the past tense form, “mi mashi ta”.

This is a typical usage of “tanuki”. In this example, it works as the object in the sentence to say “raccoon dog” in Japanese. When we want to say “raccoon dog” or “raccoon dogs” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.

Example #2: another usage of “tanuki”

Below are the new words used in the example.

• to – と : a case particle used to join two words or phrases which have similar or related meanings to make a parallel expression. This is often translated into English as “and”. In the example, this is used to join “tanuki” and “kitsune” both of which refer to animals.
• kitsune – 狐 (きつね) : a noun meaning ‘fox’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• tatakai – 戦い (たたかい) : a noun meaning ‘fight’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

This is another typical usage of “tanuki”. In Japan, interestingly, “tanuki” is often considered as the counter part of “kitsune”. Both were widely believed to be shape shifters and animals which tricked or cheated people. For this reason, they often appear together in Japanese movies, novels, manga, anime, and the like even today.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “tanuki” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• tanuki – 狸 (たぬき) : a noun meaning ‘raccoon dog’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Native speakers use this noun to refer to a raccoon dog or raccoon dogs in Japanese. So, the usage is very simple. It’s also worth mentioning here that native speakers don’t often use its kanji expression. The hiragana expression, or perhaps the katakana expression depending on the situation, is much more common. In Japan, interestingly, “tanuki” is often considered as the counter part of “kitsune”. Both were widely believed to be shape shifters and animals which tricked or cheated people. For this reason, they often appear together in Japanese movies, novels, manga, anime, and the like even today.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.