Animals appear constantly in Japanese — from children’s books and manga to proverbs and place names. Many animals also carry cultural significance in Japan. Click any word to hear it.
Pets & Domestic Animals ペット・家畜
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 犬 | いぬ | inu | Dog |
| 猫 | ねこ | neko | Cat |
| うさぎ | うさぎ | usagi | Rabbit |
| ハムスター | はむすたー | hamusutā | Hamster |
| 鳥 | とり | tori | Bird |
| 魚 | さかな | sakana | Fish |
| 馬 | うま | uma | Horse |
| 牛 | うし | ushi | Cow |
| 豚 | ぶた | buta | Pig |
| 羊 | ひつじ | hitsuji | Sheep |
| 鶏 | にわとり | niwatori | Chicken |
Japanese Wildlife 日本の野生動物
Japan has several iconic native animals — many with deep cultural meaning.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 熊 | くま | kuma | Bear |
| 猿 | さる | saru | Monkey |
| 鹿 | しか | shika | Deer |
| 狐 | きつね | kitsune | Fox |
| 狸 | たぬき | tanuki | Raccoon dog |
| 鶴 | つる | tsuru | Crane |
| 蛇 | へび | hebi | Snake |
| 蛙 | かえる | kaeru | Frog |
World Animals 世界の動物
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ライオン | らいおん | raion | Lion |
| 虎 | とら | tora | Tiger |
| 象 | ぞう | zō | Elephant |
| キリン | きりん | kirin | Giraffe |
| パンダ | ぱんだ | panda | Panda |
| コアラ | こあら | koara | Koala |
| ペンギン | ぺんぎん | pengin | Penguin |
| 河馬 | かば | kaba | Hippopotamus |
| 鮫 | さめ | same | Shark |
| 鯨 | くじら | kujira | Whale |
| イルカ | いるか | iruka | Dolphin |
Animal Sounds 動物の鳴き声
Japanese animals make very different sounds from their English counterparts!
| Animal | Japanese sound | Romaji | English sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 犬 (dog) | ワンワン | wan wan | woof woof |
| 猫 (cat) | ニャーニャー | nyā nyā | meow |
| 牛 (cow) | モーモー | mō mō | moo |
| 豚 (pig) | ブーブー | bū bū | oink |
| 鳥 (bird) | チュンチュン | chun chun | tweet |
| 蛙 (frog) | ケロケロ | kero kero | ribbit |
Cultural note: The fox (狐 kitsune) and raccoon dog (狸 tanuki) are magical shapeshifters in Japanese folklore. You’ll see tanuki statues outside restaurants across Japan — they’re considered good luck symbols.