411 REFERENCE · Wikibooks
Japanese/Vocabulary/Animals
Reference material by Wikibooks contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
vocabulary ../Food and Drink/
../Sushi/
Mammals
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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 こうもり Bat individually both kanji mean bat but are read differently
熊 くま Bear
ビーバー Beaver loan word from the French derived English word beaver
駱駝 らくだ Camel white horse (駱) hunchback (駝)
猫 ねこ Cat
チンチラ Chinchilla loan word from the Spanish word chinchilla
ハナグマ Coatimundi nose (ハナ) bear (グマ)
牛 うし Cow also used for ox
コヨーテ Coyote loan word from the American Spanish word coyote
鹿 しか Deer
デグー loan word from the South American word degu
犬 いぬ Dog
海豚 いるか Dolphin sea (海) pig (豚). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used.
驢馬
兎馬 ろば
うさぎうま Donkey donkey (驢) horse (馬) or rabbit (兎) horse (馬)
儒艮 じゅごん Dugong loan word from the Latin word dugong
象 ぞう Elephant
鼬 いたち Ferret
狐 きつね Fox
砂鼠 すなねずみ Gerbil sand (すな) mouse (ねずみ)
麒麟 きりん Giraffe
山羊 やぎ Goat 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 はりぬずみ Hedgehog needle ( ハリ) mouse (ネズミ)
河馬 かば Hippopotamus river (河) horse (馬)
馬 うま Horse
キンカジュー Kinkajou loan word from the Indian word kinkajou, meaning honey bear
子猫 / 仔猫 こねこ Kitten child (子 / 仔) cat (猫)
獅子
ライオン しし Lion loan word from Chinese (Shizi)
loan word from the English lion
ラマ Llama loan word from the Spanish word llama
海牛 かいぎゅう Manatee ocean (海) cow (牛)
ミンク Mink loan word from the English word mink
猿 さる Monkey
鼠 ねずみ Mouse
川獺 / 獺 かわうそ Otter
パンダ ぱんだ Panda loan word from the French word panda
豚 ぶた Pig
北極熊 ほっきょくぐま Polar bear 北極= North Pole, 熊= Bear
子犬 / 仔犬 こいぬ Puppy child (子 / 仔) dog (犬)
兎 うさぎ Rabbit also used for hare or coney
洗熊 あらいぐま Raccoon to wash (洗う) bear (熊)
狸 たぬき Raccoon dog
溝鼠
ラット どぶねずみ
Rat ditch (どぶ) mouse (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 さい Rhinoceros
海豹 あざらし Seal 海 (sea) 豹(panther)
海驢 あしか Sea lion 海 (sea) 驢 (donkey). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used.
羊 ひつじ Sheep
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 りす Squirrel chestnut (栗) mouse (鼠)
虎 とら Tiger
袋鼠 ふくろねずみ Virginia opossum sack/bag (袋) mouse (鼠). The English loan word ポッサム (possamu) is often used
鼬 いたち Weasel
鯨 クジラ Whale when written in kana, katakana is commonly used
狼 おおかみ Wolf
クズリ Wolverine
縞馬 しまうま Zebra stripe (縞) horse (馬)
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Birds
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鳥 とり Bird
金糸雀 かなりあ / かなりや Canary
鶏 にわとり Chicken (domestic)
鶴 つる Crane
鵜 う Cormorant
烏 / 鴉 からす Crow (or raven)
郭公 かっこう Cuckoo
家鴨 あひる Duck (domestic) family/house (家) wild duck (鴨)
鴨 かも Duck (wild)
鷲 わし Eagle
エミュー Emu loan word from the Portuguese word emu
フラミンゴ Flamingo
鵞鳥 がちょう Goose goose (鵞) bird (鳥)
鷹 たか Hawk (or falcon)
燕 つばめ Swallow
鴕鳥 だちょう Ostrich ostrich (鴕) bird (鳥)
鸚哥 いんこ Parakeet writtin in Katakana インコ。 source (my 日本語のせんせい。)
雉子 / 雉 きじ Pheasant
鳩 はと Pigeon (or dove)
鷗(鴎) かもめ Seagull
雲雀 ひばり Skylark cloud (雲) sparrow (雀)
雀 すずめ Sparrow
七面鳥 しちめんちょう Turkey seven faces (七面) bird (鳥)
禿鷹 はげたか Vulture baldness (禿) hawk (鷹)
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Reptiles, fish and other sea life
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鰐 わに Alligator (or crocodile)
鯉 こい Carp
蟹 かに Crab
龍 / 竜 りゅう / たつ Dragon both 龍 and 竜 can be read as either ryuu or tatsu
鰻 うなぎ Eel
魚 さかな (or うお) Fish
蛙 かえる Frog
イグアナ Iguana loan word from the Spanish word iguana
金魚 きんぎょ Goldfish gold (金) fish (魚)
水母 / 海月 くらげ Jellyfish 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 たこ Octopus when written in kana, katakana is commonly used
海獣 かいじゅう Sea animal sea (海) animal (獣)
海牛 うみうし Sea slug sea (海) cow (牛). More commonly written using kana (katakana) instead of kanji
鮫 さめ Shark
海老 / 蝦 えび Shrimp
蝸牛 かたつむり,or でんでんむし,or かぎゅう Snail snail (蝸) cow (牛). 蝸牛 can be read in all three ways and still mean snail
蛇 へび Snake (or serpent)
伊勢海老 いせえび Spiny lobster Ise (伊勢) shrimp (蝦)
墨魚 ぼくぎょ Squid ink (墨) fish (魚).
鮪 まぐろ Tuna
亀 かめ Turtle (or tortoise)
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Insects
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虫 / 昆虫 むし / こんちゅう Insect
害虫 がいちゅう Harmful insects
益虫 えきちゅう Beneficial insects
兜虫 / 甲虫 かぶとむし Beetle lit. headpiece (兜) insect (虫)
鍬形虫 くわがたむし Stag beetle lit. Hoe-shape insect
蟋蟀 こおろぎ Cricket
蚊 か Mosquito
蠍 さそり Scorpion
蜘蛛 くも Spider
蝶 ちょう Butterfly
蛍 ほたる Firefly
蟻 あり Ant
蛾 が Moth
蟷螂 かまきり Mantis
蜚蠊 ごきぶり Cockroach
蜻蛉 とんぼ Dragonfly
蜜蜂 みつばち Bee
雀蜂 / 胡蜂 すずめばち Hornet
団子虫 だんごむし Pillbug lit. dumpling insect
草鞋虫 わらじむし Sow bug lit. Waraji insect
蚯蚓 みみず Earthworm
蠅 / 蝿 はえ Fly
天道虫 てんとうむし Ladybug lit. insect of path in the heavens
蟬 / 蝉 せみ Cicada
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es:Japonés/Vocabulario/Animales
fr:Japonais/Vocabulaire/Animaux