象（ぞう、zou）
- elephant

The Japanese word 象 (ぞう) primarily means "elephant." It refers to the large, herbivorous mammal with a trunk and tusks. It can also be used figuratively to represent something large, imposing, or monumental.

⚫︎ 象の鼻は長いです。 Translation: The elephant's trunk is long. ⚫︎ 動物園にはいろいろな動物がいますが、私は象が一番好きです。 Translation: There are various animals in the zoo, but I like elephants the best. ⚫︎ 彼の象のような記憶力には驚きました。 Translation: I was amazed by his elephantine memory. (Figuratively: His memory was like that of an elephant, i.e., very good.)

This word is used in everyday conversation, literature, and scientific contexts. It's straightforward when referring to the animal. The figurative use, though less common, is applicable when describing something that has characteristics of an elephant—size, strength, memory, etc. The context will generally make the meaning clear.

The word 象 is most commonly written in kanji 象. The reading is ぞう in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is not applicable for this word.

There are no direct synonyms for "elephant" in Japanese, as 象 is the standard term. However, when describing something large, you might use words like: ⚫︎ 巨大な (kyodai na) - huge ⚫︎ 大きな (ookina) - big ⚫︎ 雄大な (yuudai na) - grand, majestic (to describe the size of something figurative)

There is no direct antonym for "elephant." The opposite would depend on the context. If referring to size: ⚫︎ 小さい (chiisai) - small ⚫︎ 細い (hosoi) - thin If referring to memory, you might use: ⚫︎ 物忘れしやすい (mono wasure shiyasui) - forgetful

アフリカ象は、とても大きいです。 ・Translation: African elephants are very big. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the kanji 象 in a straightforward way, describing the size of the animal.

象牙は、高価な材料です。 ・Translation: Elephant tusks are expensive materials. ・Explanation: This sentence refers to the tusks of an elephant.

The kanji 象 comes from Chinese. It originally depicted an elephant and was adopted into Japanese with the meaning of "elephant." The visual representation of the elephant is at the root of its meaning.