hippopotamus

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The Word “Hippopotamus”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The word “hippopotamus” refers to a large, mostly herbivorous mammal found in sub-Saharan Africa. Known for its massive size, thick skin, and aquatic habits, the hippopotamus is one of the largest land mammals. Despite their enormous size and often intimidating appearance, hippopotamuses are herbivores, typically grazing on grasses near rivers, lakes, or swamps. The term “hippopotamus” comes from the ancient Greek words “hippos” (meaning “horse”) and “potamos” (meaning “river”), which together mean “river horse.”

Meaning of “Hippopotamus”:

  1. A Large Herbivorous Mammal: The hippopotamus is characterized by its large body, tusks, and nearly hairless skin. It spends much of its time in water, where it keeps its body cool and nourished. Despite being semi-aquatic, it can move swiftly on land when necessary.
    • Example: “The hippopotamus is one of the largest land mammals, second only to elephants.”
  2. In the Context of Wildlife Conservation: Hippopotamuses are an important species in the context of wildlife conservation, as they face threats from habitat loss, poaching, and environmental changes that affect their aquatic habitats.
    • Example: “Efforts are being made to protect the hippopotamus populations from illegal hunting.”
  3. A Symbol of Strength and Calm: In various cultures, the hippopotamus is seen as a symbol of strength, but also of calm and serenity due to its peaceful nature in water despite its intimidating presence.
    • Example: “The hippopotamus symbolizes both power and serenity in African art and folklore.”
  4. A Common Subject in Popular Culture: The hippopotamus has often been depicted in films, cartoons, and other media, often playing the role of a humorous or friendly character due to its large size and clumsy movements.
    • Example: “The hippopotamus is a popular character in animated films, often portrayed as gentle despite its intimidating size.”

Common Uses of “Hippopotamus” in Sentences:

  1. In Casual Contexts:
    • “The hippopotamus is known for spending most of its day submerged in water.”
    • “I saw a hippopotamus at the zoo yesterday; it was huge!”
  2. In Educational or Informal Settings:
    • “The hippopotamus is one of the few animals that can run surprisingly fast on land despite its bulk.”
    • “Hippopotamuses are primarily herbivores, eating grass and other vegetation.”
  3. In Wildlife Conservation Discussions:
    • “There are ongoing efforts to monitor and protect hippopotamus populations in Africa.”
    • “Due to habitat destruction, the hippopotamus population has declined in some regions.”
  4. In Entertainment or Pop Culture:
    • “The hippopotamus in the animated movie was a funny character.”
    • “Hippopotamuses are often depicted as clumsy and lovable in children’s cartoons.”

Translations of “Hippopotamus” in 30 Languages

Language Translation Example Sentence
Spanish Hipopótamo “El hipopótamo es uno de los animales más grandes del mundo.”
French Hippopotame “Le hippopotame vit principalement dans les rivières et les lacs.”
German Nilpferd “Das Nilpferd verbringt viel Zeit im Wasser.”
Italian Ippopotamo “L’ippopotamo è un grande mammifero erbivoro che vive vicino ai fiumi.”
Portuguese Hipopótamo “O hipopótamo é um animal semiaquático que vive na África.”
Dutch Nijlpaard “Het nijlpaard leeft in rivieren en meren en is voornamelijk herbivoor.”
Russian Бегемот (Begemot) “Бегемоты часто встречаются в реках и озерах Африки.”
Chinese (Simplified) 河马 (Hémǎ) “河马是世界上最大的草食性动物之一。”
Japanese カバ (Kaba) “カバは水辺に住む草食性の動物です。”
Korean 하마 (Hama) “하마는 대부분의 시간을 물속에서 보냅니다.”
Hindi दरियाई घोड़ा (Dariyai Ghoda) “दरियाई घोड़ा पानी में समय बिताना पसंद करता है।”
Bengali জলহস্তী (Jalhasthi) “জলহস্তী নদীতে এবং হ্রদে বাস করে।”
Turkish Hipopotam “Hipopotamlar, Afrika’nın nehirlerinde ve göllerinde yaşar.”
Greek Ιπποπόταμος (Ippopótamos) “Ο ιπποπόταμος ζει κυρίως κοντά σε ποτάμια και λίμνες.”
Hebrew היפופוטם (Hipopotam) “היפופוטם הוא יצור מים המבלה הרבה זמן במקווי מים.”
Swedish Flodhäst “Flodhästar lever nära floder och sjöar i Afrika.”
Norwegian Flodhest “Flodhester er store dyr som tilbringer mye tid i vann.”
Danish Flodhest “Flodheste lever hovedsageligt i floder og søer.”
Finnish Virtahepo “Virtahepot elävät Afrikassa suurimmaksi osaksi vesistöissä.”
Polish Hipopotam “Hipopotam spędza większość czasu w wodzie.”
Czech Hroch “Hroch je zvíře, které žije v řekách a jezerech.”
Hungarian Hófehér ló “A víziló Afrika folyóiban és tavakban él.”
Romanian Hipopotam “Hipopotamul trăiește în apropierea râurilor și lacurilor.”
Thai ฮิปโปโปเตมัส (Hipopotes) “ฮิปโปโปเตมัสเป็นสัตว์ที่ใช้ชีวิตในน้ำเป็นส่วนใหญ่.”
Vietnamese Hà mã “Hà mã sống chủ yếu gần các con sông và hồ.”
Indonesian Kuda nil “Kuda nil tinggal di sungai dan danau di Afrika.”
Malay Kuda nil “Kuda nil tinggal di kawasan perairan seperti sungai dan tasik.”
Swahili Kiboko “Kiboko ni mnyama mkubwa anayependa kuishi karibu na maji.”
Filipino Hippopotamus “Ang hippopotamus ay isang malaking hayop na matatagpuan sa mga ilog sa Africa.”
Arabic فرس النهر (Faris al-Nahr) “فرس النهر هو حيوان يعيش في المياه العذبة في أفريقيا.”
Tamil நீரிழிவு (Neerizhuvi) “நீரிழிவு பெரும்பாலும் நீரில் வாழ்கின்றது.”
Telugu జలహస్తి (Jalhasti) “జలహస్తి నీటిలో ఎక్కువ సమయం గడుపుతుంది.”
Punjabi ਦਰਿਆਈ ਘੋੜਾ (Dariyai Ghoda) “ਦਰੀਆਈ ਘੋੜਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਮਾਂ ਗੁਜ਼ਾਰਦਾ ਹੈ।”
Arabic (Modern Standard) فرس النهر (Faris al-Nahr) “فرس النهر هو من أكبر الثدييات في العالم.”
Malayalam ജലഹസ്തി (Jalhasthi) “ജലഹസ്തികൾ അഫ്രിക്കയിൽ നദികളിലും തടാകങ്ങളിലും ജീവിക്കുന്നു.”

Additional Examples:

  1. Spanish:
    • “Los hipopótamos son animales grandes y pesados que habitan en las orillas de los ríos.”
    • “En el zoológico vimos un hipopótamo nadando en la piscina.”
  2. French:
    • “Le hippopotame est un grand mammifère herbivore qui vit près des rivières.”
    • “Les hippopotames se déplacent principalement sous l’eau pour se rafraîchir.”
  3. German:
    • “Ein Nilpferd kann bis zu 8.000 Kilogramm wiegen.”
    • “Nilpferde sind vor allem in Afrika zu finden und leben in Gewässern.”
  4. Japanese:
    • “カバは草食性で、主に草を食べます。”
    • “カバは水辺で過ごすことが多く、その重い体で泳ぎます。”
  5. Arabic:
    • “فرس النهر يعيش في المياه العذبة بالقرب من الأنهار.”
    • “فرس النهر هو واحد من أكبر الحيوانات التي تعيش في المياه.”

The hippopotamus is a remarkable creature, famous for its size and semi-aquatic lifestyle. Despite its often intimidating presence, it is a peaceful herbivore that plays a significant role in the ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the word and its meanings across different languages helps appreciate both the biological aspects of this fascinating animal and its cultural significance in various regions.

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