# Great White Shark



## ShiroiSame

Hi everybody,
I have to translate this animal name:
*Great White Shark*

Which kanji(kanji is right? Sorry, but I don't know Japanese...) are used to translate it?

Thanks.


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## xqby

I'm pretty sure it's:  ホホジロザメ


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## ShiroiSame

Yes, wikipedia docet!

Thanks.


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## ShiroiSame

Ok, another question:
If I wanna say only White Shark?
Is ジロザメ right?


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## AnubisMarco

白鮫 (しろさめ) if I'm not wrong ^^
(Shirosame)


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## kaito

Either that or with the さ voiced.


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## AnubisMarco

ah! sorry, I was wrong there....

しろざめ (Shirozame), and the kanji is 白鮫 ^^


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## ShiroiSame

So...
Which is the difference between 白鮫 and ホホジロザメ?

Sometimes I've found 白いサメ or 白い鮫?

So, now I have a terrible confusion in my head!!!

Someone can give me the exact translation of *Great White Shark* or simply *White Shark*?

I remind you that I don't know japanese...

Please Help!!!It's important!!!


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## xqby

If we're talking about the animal of genus _Carcharodon_, species _carcharias _then you want ホホジロザメ. 
Are you trying to describe a shark that just happens to be white? I don't understand your question.


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## ShiroiSame

Ok, I try to give you an example...

_Yesterday I saw a Shark, a *Great White Shark*._

or,

_There's a shark in the bay...I'm pretty sure that is a *White Shark*._


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## Flaminius

Hello *ShiroiSame*,

Welcome to the WordReference fora!  

Judging from your last post, you are looking for the Japanese name for _Carcharodon carcharias_.  As a few people have already mentioned, it is ホホジロザメ.  Perhaps ホオジロザメ, a variation, is more common than the official name.  I always hear the name pronounced _hōjirozame_, so I suspect the two varieties aren't really anything other than orthographical variations.  Both mean a white-cheeked shark.

Regarding your second question, there isn't really any difference between English "great white shark" and "white shark."  As you can see in the taxonomy, they are two different vernacular names referring to the same animal.  There is no way to translate "white shark" as used in taxonomy since it won't be understood as an animal name in Japanese.


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## ShiroiSame

So, If I want to translate the scientific name of Great White Shark I should use ホホジロザメ or, most common, ホオジロザメ.

But, which are the kanji for the words:
*Great*, *White *and *Shark*?
If I "mix" it to form the name _Great White Shark_, it's wrong?

In some cases, I've found 白いサメ or 白い鮫...what they exactly mean?


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## Flaminius

> If I "mix" it to form the name _Great White Shark_, it's wrong?


It depends what you are looking for.  It is wrong if you are looking for the Japanese name for _Carcharodon carcharias_.  Note that Japanese named the shark independent of the English name.  It's just like calling il merlo «il uccello nero» just because they call the bird in English «Blackbird».

Would you please state once more what you are looking for?


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## ShiroiSame

ah...ok, thanks Flaminius...

I'm looking for Japanese name for _Great White Shark or, simply, White Shark...

I believe that ShiroiSame is the _Japanese for White Shark right?
So, using Kanji?How can I write ShiroiSame? 白いサメ, 白い鮫 or in another way?

In fact, if I put in _google translate_ 白いサメ or 白い鮫 it returns to me "*squalo bianco*"...

Sorry for my ignorance in japanese...I've never studied it...

Thanks


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## ShiroiSame

I have another question for you...
ホホジロザメ (or ホオジロザメ) is a single word, isn't it?

So if I want to write it in two line?
e.g.:
in Italian if I want to write into separated line "traduzione" I have to split it into:
_tradu-
zione
_
I can do the same in Japanese?
So, ホホジロザメ become 
ホホジ
ロザメ?

Thanks...


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## kaito

I don't think I've ever seen that happen in Japanese, it would be very confusing.


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## Ume

ShiroiSame,

May I ask why you need to split ホホジロザメ into two?
[ ホホジロザメ ] = 頬 (ホホ) + 白 (ジロ) + 鮫 (ザメ)


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## ShiroiSame

Ok, I've just found on a web site that *hohojirozame* is the Japanese for Great White Shark (Scientific Name: _Carcharodon carcharias_)
So, finally, the right Kanji are ホホジロザメ?
Or there's another way to write it in japanese?

Thanks.


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## lammn

ShiroiSame said:


> So, finally, the right Kanji are ホホジロザメ?


 
Yes and No.

The Japanese name for Carcharodon carcharias is ホホジロザメ indeed.
ホホジロザメ is written in *katakana*, _not_ in kanji.


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## ShiroiSame

Ok, now I understand...

So, how con i write ホホジロザメ in kanji?Is it possible?

Thanks


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## lammn

ShiroiSame said:


> So, how con i write ホホジロザメ in kanji?Is it possible?


 


Umeboshi said:


> [ ホホジロザメ ] = 頬 (ホホ) + 白 (ジロ) + 鮫 (ザメ)


 
As Umeboshi has pointed out already, 頬白鮫 is the kanji for Carcharodon carcharias.


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