恐竜

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 恐竜 is read きょうりゅう and is the noun for a dinosaur.
• Basic usage: It appears when discussing museum skeletons or dinosaurs pictured in illustrated guides.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Long sounds
  • Preserve the long sounds in both きょう and りゅう when pronouncing きょうりゅう.
• Compared with 竜
  • 竜(りゅう) can refer to a dragon in a story. 恐竜 names dinosaurs as real animals.