山羊(やぎ)

やぎ
noun
goat
1. goat
A domesticated animal with horns and a beard, related to sheep.
山羊(やぎ)が草(くさ)を食(た)べている。
The goat is eating grass.
山羊(やぎ)の乳(ちち)からチーズを作(つく)る。
Cheese is made from goat's milk.
山羊(やぎ)は高(たか)いところに登(のぼ)るのが得意(とくい)だ。
Goats are good at climbing high places.
牧場(ぼくじょう)で子(こ)ヤギに触(さわ)った。
I petted a baby goat at the farm.
山羊(やぎ)は何(なん)でも食(た)べると言(い)われているが、実(じつ)は好(す)き嫌(きら)いがある。
People say goats eat anything, but they actually have preferences.

山羊(やぎ) refers to a goat. Often written in katakana as ヤギ, especially in everyday contexts and product names.

KANJI NOTE:
The kanji 山羊(やぎ) literally means "mountain sheep" (山(やま) + 羊(ひつじ)). The katakana form ヤギ is common in casual writing.

CONTRAST WITH 羊(ひつじ):

  • 山羊(やぎ): goat
  • 羊(ひつじ): sheep

These are often confused by learners since the kanji for goat contains 羊(ひつじ).

RELATED TERMS:

  • ヤギ乳(にゅう) / 山羊(やぎ)乳(にゅう): goat's milk
  • ヤギチーズ: goat cheese
  • 子(こ)ヤギ: kid (baby goat)

CULTURE:
The goat/sheep is the 8th animal in the Chinese zodiac (未(ひつじ)年(どし)), though in Japanese 羊(ひつじ) (sheep) is more commonly associated with it.

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Added 2026.1.16 12:26 · Revised 2026.3.30 12:38
05000/05203_yagi