Japanese/Vocabulary/Animals
Related vocabulary
Mammals
| English | Japanese | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaca | アルパカ | loan word from the American Spanish word alpaca | |
| Australian Possum | オポッサム | loan word from the English word opossum | |
| Bat | 蝙蝠 | こうもり | individually both kanji mean bat but are read differently |
| Bear | 熊 | くま | |
| Beaver | ビーバー | loan word from the French derived English word beaver | |
| Camel | 駱駝 | らくだ | white horse (駱) hunchback (駝) |
| Cat | 猫 | ねこ | |
| Chinchilla | チンチラ | loan word from the Spanish word chinchilla | |
| Coatimundi | ハナグマ | nose (ハナ) bear (グマ) | |
| Cow | 牛 | うし | also used for ox |
| Coyote | コヨーテ | loan word from the American Spanish word coyote | |
| Deer | 鹿 | しか | |
| デグー | loan word from the South American word degu | ||
| Dog | 犬 | いぬ | |
| Dolphin | 海豚 | いるか | sea (海) pig (豚). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used. |
| Donkey | 驢馬 兎馬 |
ろば うさぎうま |
|
| Dugong | 儒艮 | じゅごん | |
| Elephant | 象 | ぞう | |
| Ferret | フェレット | ||
| Fox | 狐 | きつね | |
| Gerbil | 砂鼠 | すなねずみ | |
| Giraffe | 麒麟 | きりん | |
| Goat | 山羊 | やぎ | |
| Gorilla | ゴリラ | ||
| Groundhog | ウッドチャック | ||
| Guinea pig | モルモット | ||
| Hamster | ハムスター | ||
| Hedgehog | 針鼠 or 蝟 | ハリネズミ | |
| Hippopotamus | 河馬 | かば | |
| Horse | 馬 | うま | |
| Kinkajou | キンカジュー | loan word from the Indian word kinkajou, meaning honey bear | |
| Kitten | 子猫 | こねこ | child (子) cat (猫) |
| Lion | ライオン | loan word from the Latin derived English word lion | |
| Llama | ラマ | loan word from the Spanish word llama | |
| Manatee | マナティー | loan word from the Spanish word llama | |
| Mink | ミンク | loan word from the English word mink | |
| Monkey | 猿 | さる | |
| Mouse | 鼠 | ねずみ | |
| Otter | 獺 | かわうそ | |
| Panda | パンダ | ぱんだ | loan word from the French word panda |
| Pig | 豚 | ぶた | |
| Polar bear | 白熊 | しろくま | white (白) bear (くま) |
| Puppy | 子犬 | こいぬ | child (子) dog (犬) |
| Rabbit | 兎 | うさぎ | also used for hare or coney |
| Raccoon | 洗熊 | あらいぐま | coarse (あらい) bear (ぐま) |
| Raccoon dog | 狸 | たぬき | |
| Rat | 溝鼠 ラット |
どぶねずみ |
ラット is a loan word from the English rat and used more commonly than どぶねずみ |
| Red panda | レッサーパンダ | ressa is the loan word for the English word lesser and panda from the French panda | |
| Rhinoceros | 犀 | さい | |
| Seal | 海豹 | あざらし | 海 (sea) 豹(panther) |
| Sea lion | 海驢 | あしか | 海 (sea) 驢 (donkey). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used. |
| Sheep | 羊 | ひつじ | |
| Short tailed opossum | コモリネズミ | コモリ (komori) ネズミ (mouse) | |
| Skunk | スカンク | loan word from the English word skunk | |
| Squirrel | 栗鼠 | りす | chestnut (栗) mouse (鼠) |
| Tiger | 虎 | とら | |
| Virginia opossum | 袋鼠 | ふくろねずみ | sack/bag (袋) mouse (鼠). The English loan word ポッサム (possamu) is often used |
| Weasel | 鼬 | いたち | |
| Whale | 鯨 | クジラ | when written in kana, katakana is commonly used |
| Wolf | 狼 | おおかみ | |
| Wolverine | クズリ | ||
| Zebra | 縞馬 | しまうま | stripe (縞) horse (馬) |
Birds
| English | Japanese | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird | 鳥 | とり | |
| Canary | 金糸雀 | かなりあ | |
| Chicken (domestic) | 鶏 | にわとり | |
| Crane | 鶴 | つる | |
| Cormorant | 鵜 | う | |
| Crow (or raven) | 烏 | からす | |
| Cuckoo | 郭公 | かっこう | |
| Duck (domestic) | 家鴨 | あひる | family/house (家) wild duck (鴨) |
| Duck (wild) | 鴨 | かも | |
| Eagle | 鷲 | わし | |
| Emu | エミュー | loan word from the Portuguese word emu | |
| Flamingo | フラミンゴ | ||
| Goose | 鵞鳥 | がちょう | goose (鵞) bird (鳥) |
| Hawk (or falcon) | 鷹 | たか | |
| Swallow | 燕 | つばめ | |
| Ostrich | 鴕鳥 | だちょう | ostrich (鴕) bird (鳥) |
| Parakeet | 鸚哥 | いんこ | writtin in Katakana インコ。 source (my 日本語のせんせい。） |
| Pheasant | 雉 | きじ | |
| Pigeon (or dove) | 鳩 | はと | |
| Seagull | 鴎 | かもめ | |
| Skylark | 雲雀 | ひばり | cloud (雲) sparrow (雀) |
| Sparrow | 雀 | すずめ | |
| Turkey | 七面鳥 | しちめんちょう | seven faces (七面) bird (鳥) |
| Vulture | 禿鷹 | はげたか | baldness (禿) hawk (鷹) |
Reptiles, fish and other sea life
| English | Japanese | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alligator (or crocodile) | 鰐 | わに | |
| Carp | 鯉 | こい | |
| Crab | 蟹 | かに | |
| Dragon | 龍 (or 竜) | りゅう (or たつ) | both 龍 and 竜 can be read as either ryuu or tatsu |
| Eel | 鰻 | うなぎ | |
| Fish | 魚 | さかな (or うお) | |
| Frog | 蛙 | かえる | |
| Iguana | イグアナ | loan word from the Spanish word iguana | |
| Goldfish | 金魚 | きんぎょ | gold (金) fish (魚) |
| Jellyfish | 水母 (or 海月) | くらげ | water (水) mother (母) or sea (海) moon (月) |
| Komodo dragon | コモドドラゴン | loan word from the Indonesian island Komodo and the English word dragon | |
| Octopus | 蛸 | タコ | when written in kana, katakana is commonly used |
| Sea animal | 海獣 | かいじゅう | sea (海) animal (獣) |
| Sea slug | 海牛 | ウミウシ | sea (海) cow (牛). More commonly written using kana (katakana) instead of kanji |
| Shark | 鮫 | さめ | |
| Shrimp | 蝦 | えび | |
| Snail | 蝸牛 | かたつむり,or でんでんむし,or かぎゅう | snail (蝸) cow (牛). 蝸牛 can be read in all three ways and still mean snail |
| Snake (or serpent) | 蛇 | へび | |
| Spiny lobster | 伊勢海老 | いせえび | Ise (伊勢) shrimp (蝦) |
| Squid | 墨魚 | ぼくぎょ | ink (墨) fish (魚). |
| Tuna | 鮪 | まぐろ | |
| Turtle (or tortoise) | 亀 | かめ |
Insects
| English | Japanese | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insect | 虫 (or 昆虫) | むし (or こんちゅう) | |
| Harmful insects | 害虫 | がいちゅう | |
| Beneficial insects | 益虫 | えきちゅう | |
| Beetle | 兜虫 (or 甲虫) | かぶとむし | lit. headpiece (兜) insect (虫) |
| Stag beetle | 鍬形虫 | くわがたむし | lit. Hoe-shape insect |
| Cricket | 蟋 | こおろぎ | |
| Mosquito | 蚊 | か | |
| Scorpion | 蠍 | さそり | |
| Spider | 蜘蛛 | くも | |
| Butterfly | 蝶 | ちょう | |
| Firefly | 蛍 | ほたる | |
| Ant | 蟻 | あり | |
| Moth | 蛾 | が | |
| Mantis | 蟷螂 | かまきり | |
| Cockroach | ゴキブリ | ||
| Dragonfly | 蜻蛉 | とんぼ | |
| Bee | 蜜蜂 | みつばち | |
| Hornet | 雀蜂 or 胡蜂 | すずめばち | |
| Pillbug | 団子虫 | だんごむし | lit. dumpling insect |
| Sow bug | 草鞋虫 | わらじむし | lit. Waraji insect |
| Earthworm | 蚯蚓 | みみず | |
| Fly | 蠅 or 蝿 | はえ | |
| Ladybug | 天道虫 | てんとうむし | lit. insect of path in the heavens |
| Cicada | 蟬 or 蝉 | せみ |