愛玩動物

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 愛玩動物 is read as あいがんどうぶつ and is a noun for an animal kept close and cared for as a pet or companion animal.
• Basic usage: Living together appears in 愛玩動物と暮らす, while keeping such an animal appears in 愛玩動物を飼う.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Relation to ペット
  • The terms can refer to the same animal, but ペット is everyday language and 愛玩動物 is a formal Sino-Japanese term suited to classification or explanation.
• Pet and companion animal
  • Pet is the general term, while companion animal can emphasize the shared-life and care relationship.