野良犬
Grammar & Usage
noun
neutral
How it works
野良犬 (norainu) is a compound noun. 野良 (nora) means 'field; open country; wild' and 犬 (inu) means 'dog'. Together, they literally mean 'field dog' or 'wild dog', referring to a dog without an owner, i.e., a stray.
Sample sentences
公園で一匹の野良犬が食べ物を探していた。
A stray dog was looking for food in the park.
彼はかわいそうな野良犬を家に連れて帰った。
He took the poor stray dog home.
あの野良犬はいつも同じゴミ捨て場を漁っている。
That stray dog always rummages through the same dumpster.
Quick facts
kanjiMeaning:野 (field, wild) + 良 (good, but here contributes to 'wild' or 'stray' context in combination) + 犬 (dog)
commonAlternative:地域によっては「のら犬」とひらがな表記されることもある。(In some regions, it might be written in hiragana as 'のら犬'.)
Mnemonic
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Example
公園で一匹の野良犬が食べ物を探していた。
A stray dog was looking for food in the park.
彼はかわいそうな野良犬を家に連れて帰った。
He took the poor stray dog home.
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