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If you want animal names in Japanese, start with the beginner words you see most often: いぬ / 犬 (dog), ねこ / 猫 (cat), とり / 鳥 (bird), and さかな / 魚 (fish). This guide groups animals into pets, farm animals, wild animals, cultural animals, and sea animals, with kana, kanji, and useful examples.
Covers: beginner animals first, pets, farm animals, wild animals, Japanese cultural animals, sea animals, and counters like 匹・頭・羽.
| English | Kana | Kanji | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| dog | いぬ | 犬 | 犬が好きです。 — I like dogs. |
| cat | ねこ | 猫 | 黒い猫です。 — It is a black cat. |
| bird | とり | 鳥 | 鳥がいます。 — There is a bird. |
| fish | さかな | 魚 | 魚を食べます。 — I eat fish. |
| horse | うま | 馬 | 馬は大きいです。 — Horses are big. |
| cow | うし | 牛 | 牛乳 uses the same kanji. |
| rabbit | うさぎ | 兎 | うさぎはかわいいです。 |
| monkey | さる | 猿 | 猿を見ました。 — I saw a monkey. |
| Kanji | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 犬 | いぬ | Dog | 子犬(こいぬ) = puppy |
| 猫 | ねこ | Cat | 子猫(こねこ) = kitten |
| 魚 | さかな | Fish | お魚 = polite/child-friendly form |
| 鳥 | とり | Bird (general) | Not the same as 鶏 (chicken) |
| ウサギ | うさぎ | Rabbit | Also written 兎 in kanji |
| ハムスター | はむすたー | Hamster | Katakana loanword |
| 金魚 | きんぎょ | Goldfish | 金(きん) = gold + 魚(さかな/ぎょ) |
| 亀 | かめ | Turtle / tortoise | Symbol of longevity in Japanese culture |
| 蛇 | へび | Snake | Also in the Chinese zodiac |
| Kanji | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 牛 | うし | Cow / cattle | 牛乳(ぎゅうにゅう) = milk; 牛肉(ぎゅうにく) = beef |
| 馬 | うま | Horse | 馬力(ばりき) = horsepower |
| 豚 | ぶた | Pig | 豚肉(ぶたにく) = pork |
| 鶏 | にわとり | Chicken (farm bird) | Not the same as 鳥 (bird in general) |
| 羊 | ひつじ | Sheep | Also in the Chinese zodiac; wool = 羊毛(ようもう) |
| 山羊 | やぎ | Goat | 山(やま) = mountain + 羊(ひつじ) |
| アヒル | あひる | Duck (domestic) | Wild duck = 鴨(かも) |
| ガチョウ | がちょう | Goose | Katakana loanword |
| Word | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ライオン | らいおん | Lion | Katakana loanword |
| ゾウ | ぞう | Elephant | Also written 象; counted with 頭(とう) |
| キリン | きりん | Giraffe | Also written 麒麟 — a mythical creature in Chinese lore |
| 猿 / サル | さる | Monkey | 12th sign of the zodiac; 三猿 = three wise monkeys |
| クマ | くま | Bear | Also written 熊; 子熊(こぐま) = bear cub |
| 狼 | おおかみ | Wolf | Extinct in Japan (last confirmed 1905) |
| 虎 | とら | Tiger | In the zodiac; popular in Osaka sports culture |
| パンダ | ぱんだ | Giant panda | Also 熊猫(くまねこ/パンダ) — "bear cat" |
| ゴリラ | ごりら | Gorilla | Katakana loanword |
| カンガルー | かんがるー | Kangaroo | Katakana loanword from English |
These animals hold special significance in Japanese folklore, Shinto religion, and art. You'll encounter them constantly in travel, manga, and literature.
| Kanji | Reading | English | Cultural Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 狐 | きつね | Fox | Messenger of Inari (Shinto god of rice); trickster shapeshifter in folk tales. Multi-tailed kitsune = power and wisdom. |
| 狸 | たぬき | Raccoon dog (tanuki) | Beloved shapeshifter in Japanese folklore; lucky statues outside shops and restaurants. |
| 鹿 | しか | Deer | Sacred at Nara (奈良); considered messengers of the gods. Roam freely in Nara Park. |
| 猿 | さる | Monkey | 三猿(さんざる) = three wise monkeys at Nikkō Tōshōgū; also in the zodiac. |
| 鶴 | つる | Crane | Symbol of longevity and good fortune; folding 1,000 origami cranes (千羽鶴) grants a wish. |
| 鯉 | こい | Koi carp | Symbol of perseverance and strength; swimming upstream = overcoming adversity. Central to Boy's Day (こどもの日) decorations. |
| Kanji / Kana | Reading | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鯨 | くじら | Whale | Counted with 頭(とう); whale meat was common in Japan until the 1980s |
| イルカ | いるか | Dolphin | Also written 海豚 |
| 鮫 | さめ | Shark | Also サメ in katakana |
| タコ | たこ | Octopus | Also written 蛸; popular in takoyaki (たこ焼き) |
| イカ | いか | Squid | Also written 烏賊; common in Japanese cuisine |
| カニ | かに | Crab | Also written 蟹 |
| エビ | えび | Shrimp / prawn | Also written 海老 or 蝦 |
| クラゲ | くらげ | Jellyfish | Also written 水母; lit. "water mother" |
Japanese requires specific counter words when counting animals. Using the wrong one is a common learner error.
| Counter | Reading | Used for | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜匹 | ひき | Small to medium animals (dogs, cats, fish, insects, rabbits) | 猫一匹(いっぴき)、魚三匹(さんびき) |
| 〜頭 | とう | Large animals (horses, cows, elephants, whales, bears) | 馬二頭(にとう)、ゾウ五頭(ごとう) |
| 〜羽 | わ | Birds; also traditional for rabbits | 鶏二羽(にわ)、鳥三羽(さんわ) |
Irregular readings: 一匹 = いっぴき, 六匹 = ろっぴき, 八匹 = はっぴき. Always learn the counter with its irregular number readings.
See also: Japanese Question Words — including 何匹 (nanbiki, how many animals?) and 何頭 (nantou).
Japanese uses different counter words depending on animal size. 匹 (hiki) is used for small to medium animals: cats, dogs, fish, rabbits. 頭 (tou) is used for large animals: horses, cows, elephants, whales. 羽 (wa) is used for birds and traditionally for rabbits. The readings change irregularly with some numbers: 一匹 = いっぴき, 六匹 = ろっぴき.
鳥 (tori) is the general word for "bird" — it covers all birds. 鶏 (niwatori) specifically means chicken, the domesticated farm bird. So a sparrow, eagle, and parrot are all 鳥, but only chickens are 鶏. Chicken meat is 鶏肉 (toriniku) — confusingly read with the 鶏 kanji but the "tori" reading.
狐 (kitsune) holds a dual role in Japanese culture. Kitsune are messengers of Inari, the Shinto deity of rice and prosperity, and are revered at Inari shrines like Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. They are also famous tricksters in folk tales — shapeshifters that disguise themselves as humans. A kitsune with multiple tails is increasingly powerful and wise.
犬 (inu) means dog in general, referring to any dog regardless of age. 子犬 (koinu) specifically means puppy — the 子 (ko) prefix means young or child. The same pattern applies: 子猫 (koneko) = kitten, 子熊 (koguma) = bear cub. Add 子 before the animal word to specify a young animal.
Historically, rabbits were counted with 羽 (wa, the bird counter) in Japan. One theory is that Buddhist monks restricted from eating meat classified rabbits as birds to find a loophole. Today both 羽 and 匹 are acceptable for rabbits, though 匹 is more common in everyday speech. The traditional 羽 usage survives in some dialects and formal contexts.
The three wise monkeys are called 三猿 (sanzaru) in Japanese. The individual monkeys are 見ざる (see no evil), 聞かざる (hear no evil), and 言わざる (speak no evil). The famous carving is at Nikkō Tōshōgū shrine in Tochigi Prefecture. The monkey (猿, saru) is also one of the twelve animals in the Japanese zodiac.
The YoruLearn app drills all 50 animal names — including kanji, readings, and counter words — through spaced-repetition flashcards and fill-in-the-blank conjugation practice. Adaptive review ensures you master tricky pairs like 鳥 vs 鶏 and the correct counter for each animal.