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