河馬(かば)

Writing

• The kanji 河馬(かば) is rare in everyday text. Animal names are normally written in katakana, so カバ is the usual form; かば also appears.
• The name is literally "river horse" (河(かわ) = river, 馬(うま) = horse), matching the Greek origin of "hippopotamus."

Counting patterns

• Counted with 頭(とう), the counter for large animals: 一頭(いっとう), 二頭(にとう).

Common patterns

• 動物園(どうぶつえん)の河馬(かば) (the hippo at the zoo) — where learners most often meet the word
• 河馬(かば)が大(おお)きな口(くち)を開(あ)ける (the hippo opens its huge mouth)

Usage

• Despite its placid image, 河馬(かば) is often described in Japanese as 見(み)た目(め)より危険(きけん) (more dangerous than it looks), a phrase worth knowing in its own right.