Japanese/Vocabulary/Animals
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< Japanese | Vocabulary
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Contents |
[edit] 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 | |
| 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 | ニャン子 | ニャンこ | meow (ニャン) child (子) |
| 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 | river (カワ) When written in kana, katakana is commonly used. |
| panda | 熊猫 | パンダ | loan word from the French word panda |
| pig | 豚 | ぶた | |
| polar bear | 白熊 | しろくま | white (白) bear (くま) |
| porcupine | 山荒 or 豪猪 | やまあらし | mountain (ヤマ) storm (アラシ) |
| 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) |
[edit] Birds
| English | Japanese | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bird | 鳥 | とり | |
| canary | 金糸雀 | かなりや | |
| 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 | |
| larsk | 燕 | つばめ | |
| ostrich | 鴕鳥 | だちょう | ostrich (鴕) bird (鳥) |
| parakeet | 鸚哥 | いんこ | |
| 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) |
[edit] 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 |
| dolphin | 海豚 | いるか | sea (海) pig (豚). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used. |
| 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 | 烏賊 | イカ | ink (墨) fish (魚). When written in kana, katakana is commonly used |
| tuna | 鮪 | まぐろ | |
| turtle (or tortoise) | 亀 | かめ |
[edit] Insects
| English | Japanese | Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| beetle | 兜虫 (or 甲虫) | かぶとむし | headpiece (兜) insect (虫) |
| cricket | 蟋 | こおろぎ | |
| insect | 虫 (or 昆虫) | むし (or こんちゅう) | |
| mosquito | 蚊 | か | |
| scorpion | 蠍 | さそり | |
| spider | 蜘蛛 | くも |
