SanderP

Hey!

I've seen different symbols for "lion" in Japanese kanji.

Is it 獅子 or just 獅 - or maybe something entirely different? What's the difference anyway?

Thanks in advance!

yugknup

Hi,

Lion, as in an animal of the species Panthera leo, is ライオン (raion) in Japanese -- from the English word.

獅子 (shishi) is technically the lion of Eastern mythology, imbued with protective powers. I believe this can also be used to refer to Panthera leo, although it is not usual to do so in everyday language, but in special cases where kanji is most appropriate it should be fine.

獅 is a kanji meaning 'lion' (i.e. not a word, just a character). In Japanese this is generally only used in compound words, not on its own.