Animals come up everywhere in Japanese — in daily conversation, idioms, and pop culture. This guide covers pets, common wildlife, and animal-related expressions.
At a Glance: Common Animals
| Japanese | Reading | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| 猫 | ねこ (neko) | Cat |
| 犬 | いぬ (inu) | Dog |
| 鳥 | とり (tori) | Bird |
| 魚 | さかな (sakana) | Fish |
| うさぎ | usagi | Rabbit |
| 熊 | くま (kuma) | Bear |
| 鹿 | しか (shika) | Deer |
| 狐 | きつね (kitsune) | Fox |
Pet Vocabulary
• ペット — Pet | 飼う (かう, kau) — Keep / raise (an animal) | 散歩する (さんぽする) — Take for a walk | 餌 (えさ, esa) — Animal food / feed | 予防接種 (よぼうせっしゅ) — Vaccination | 動物病院 (どうぶつびょういん) — Veterinary clinic | 去勢 / 避妊 — Neuter / spay
Animal Sounds in Japanese
Japanese animal sounds (擬音語, giongo) are different from English!
| Animal | English sound | Japanese sound |
|---|---|---|
| Dog | Woof / bark | ワンワン (wan wan) |
| Cat | Meow | ニャーニャー (nyaa nyaa) |
| Frog | Ribbit | ケロケロ (kero kero) |
| Bird / crow | Tweet / caw | チュンチュン / カーカー |
| Cow | Moo | モーモー (moo moo) |
YukaI heard that cats in Japan say ニャー. But they also say ねこ in many brand names. What’s that about?
Reiねこ is just the word for cat! The brand association comes from Japan’s famous cat characters — Hello Kitty (ハローキティ), Doraemon (a robotic cat), and maneki-neko (招き猫, beckoning cat) are all hugely popular. Japan is famous for its cat-loving culture — there are even 猫カフェ (neko kafe, cat cafes) where you pay to spend time with cats!
YukaAre there wild animals I might see in Japan?
ReiYes! Deer in Nara (鹿 — they’re considered sacred), monkeys in hot spring areas (温泉猿, onsen monkeys), tanuki (raccoon dogs — タヌキ) which appear in folklore, and kitsune (foxes — often associated with Inari shrines). Black bears (ツキノワグマ) and wild boar (イノシシ) are also in mountain areas.
5 Practice Sentences
| # | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 猫を二匹飼っています。 | I keep two cats. |
| 2 | 奈良では鹿が自由に歩き回っています。 | In Nara, deer roam freely. |
| 3 | 犬の散歩を毎朝しています。 | I walk my dog every morning. |
| 4 | 猫カフェに行ってみたいです！ | I want to try going to a cat cafe! |
| 5 | 日本の鳥の鳴き声はとても美しい。 | The birdsong of Japan is very beautiful. |
Quick Quiz
1. What sound does a frog make in Japanese? → ケロケロ (kero kero)
2. What is a 猫カフェ (neko kafe)? → A cafe where you can spend time with cats
3. How do you say “I keep a pet”? → ペットを飼っています (petto wo katte imasu)
Practice in the Comments!
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