This is the 5278th most frequent Japanese word.
ape
The Japanese word "ape" does not exist. You may be referring to the English word "ape," which translates to サル (saru) or 類人猿 (ruijin'en) in Japanese, meaning a primate or great ape.
The word '猿' (ape) here is used metaphorically to describe imitation, highlighting similarity to the behavior of apes who emulate actions.
彼はいつも他人の姿勢を真似る、まるで猿のようだ。
He always imitates other people's posture, just like an ape.
The word '類人猿' (primates/apes) is used scientifically here to denote a particular biological classification.
類人猿は人間に最も近い動物だと言われている。
Primates are said to be the animals closest to humans.
The word '猿' (ape) here directly refers to the animal and describes its actions in a vivid setting.