Japanese Word for

犬

inu

dog · canine

Readings

  • ONケンken
  • KUNいぬinu
  • SOUNDわんわんwan wan (woof woof)

Meaning

Dog. 犬 (inu) is the everyday word; 犬 (ken) appears in formal compounds. Japanese dogs say わんわん (wan wan) rather than "woof." The Shiba Inu (柴犬) became globally famous as the Doge meme dog.

Example words

柴犬

Shiba Inu

Shiba Inu (Japanese dog breed)

秋田犬

Akita Inu

Akita (Japanese breed)

忠犬

chūken

loyal dog

愛犬

aiken

beloved/pet dog

See Japanese Symbol for Dog for the full reference including Hachikō and Japanese dog breeds. The Shiba Inu (柴犬) became a global internet phenomenon as the "Doge" meme, making it one of Japan's most internationally recognized dog breeds.

Learn to read Japanese

Hiragana and katakana are the keys to reading Japanese. Our free trainers get them locked in fast.

Hiragana Trainer → Katakana Trainer →