Animal in Different Languages
Discover 'Animal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word animal holds a significant place in our lives, representing the diverse and fascinating creatures that share our planet. From a cultural perspective, animals have been celebrated and revered throughout history, often serving as symbols of strength, wisdom, and beauty in various traditions and mythologies.
Understanding the translation of animal in different languages can open up a world of cultural discovery. For instance, in Spanish, the word for animal is animal, while in French, it's animal. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for animal is 动物 (dòngwù), and in Japanese, it's 動物 (dōbutsu).
Moreover, learning the word for animal in different languages can be a fun and engaging way to explore linguistic diversity. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, delving into the translations of this fundamental word can offer unique insights into the cultures and histories of different countries and communities.
Animal
Animal in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | dier | ||
| The Afrikaans word "dier" is derived from the Proto-Germanic term "*deor", meaning "beast". | |||
| Amharic | እንስሳ | ||
| The word "እንስሳ" is also used to refer to animals that are not typically considered to be wild, such as pets and livestock. | |||
| Hausa | dabba | ||
| "Dabba" may also refer specifically to a lion, a snake, or a vulture. | |||
| Igbo | anụmanụ | ||
| The Igbo word for 'animal', 'anụmanụ', also refers to all non-human living creatures, including plants and insects. | |||
| Malagasy | biby | ||
| "Biby" can refer to both wild and domestic animals, as well as pets. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | nyama | ||
| Nyama is a homonym with two meanings and etymologies, the second being 'meat'. The first meaning is inherited from Proto-Bantu, while the second is from Proto-Niger-Congo. | |||
| Shona | mhuka | ||
| "Mhuka" is derived from the Bantu root "-uka", meaning "to go". It originally referred to wild animals that roamed libremente. | |||
| Somali | xayawaan | ||
| Somali "xayawaan" is derived from Arabic "ḥayawān," "living creature," also "beast." | |||
| Sesotho | phoofolo | ||
| "Phoofolo" is derived from the root "phoof", meaning "to breathe," and is cognate with "phoofolo" in Zulu, meaning "living being." | |||
| Swahili | mnyama | ||
| Mnyama can also mean a wild animal or a beast. | |||
| Xhosa | isilwanyana | ||
| In addition to its general meaning of "animal," "isilwanyana" also has specific uses to refer to animals used for transport or hunting. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹranko | ||
| "Erànko" in Yoruba can also refer to a wild beast or a mythical creature. | |||
| Zulu | isilwane | ||
| 'Isilwane' is also a traditional Zulu beer that is made from maize meal and fermented sorghum. | |||
| Bambara | bagan | ||
| Ewe | lã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | inyamaswa | ||
| Lingala | nyama | ||
| Luganda | ensolo | ||
| Sepedi | phoofolo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aboa | ||
Animal in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | حيوان | ||
| حيوان comes from the Arabic verb حيي which means 'to live', so it can also refer to any living organism, including plants. | |||
| Hebrew | בעל חיים | ||
| The word "בעל חיים" (animal) is a Hebrew term that literally means "owner of life". | |||
| Pashto | ځناور | ||
| In Pashto, the word "ځناور" (animal) is derived from the Persian word "جنور" with the same meaning. | |||
| Arabic | حيوان | ||
| حيوان comes from the Arabic verb حيي which means 'to live', so it can also refer to any living organism, including plants. | |||
Animal in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kafshë | ||
| Kafshë may also refer to a type of traditional Albanian footwear | |||
| Basque | animalia | ||
| The Basque word 'animalia' is derived from the Latin 'animalis', meaning 'having breath' or 'having life'. | |||
| Catalan | animal | ||
| In Catalan, the word "animal" can also refer to a "beast" or a "monster", which is likely influenced by its Latin origins. | |||
| Croatian | životinja | ||
| The word "životinja" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *živъ, meaning "life", and is related to the word "život" ("life") in modern Croatian. | |||
| Danish | dyr | ||
| The word ‘dyr’ can in some contexts also refer to expensive jewellery | |||
| Dutch | dier | ||
| The Dutch word "dier" can also mean "beast" or "creature" in a more general sense. | |||
| English | animal | ||
| The word "animal" comes from the Latin "animalis," meaning "having breath" or "living." | |||
| French | animal | ||
| From the Latin « animale », coming from « anima » (soul), « animal » designated everything that is endowed with a soul in the Middle Ages and thus included humans. | |||
| Frisian | bist | ||
| The Frisian word "bist" is a cognate of the English word "beast", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "bestia", meaning "wild animal". | |||
| Galician | animal | ||
| The Galician word "animal" derives from the Latin "animalis", meaning "creature with breath", encompassing both living and inanimate things. | |||
| German | tier | ||
| The German word "Tier" can also refer to a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. | |||
| Icelandic | dýr | ||
| Related to the words 'deer' and 'door', 'dýr' is thought to derive from an Indo-European root referring to 'wild animal'. | |||
| Irish | ainmhí | ||
| The word "ainmhí" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷʰen-", meaning "to slay" or "to kill". | |||
| Italian | animale | ||
| The Italian word "animale" is derived from the Latin word "animalis", which means "having breath". The word "animale" can also be used as an adjective to mean "animated" or "lively". | |||
| Luxembourgish | déier | ||
| Déier is an old word for a 'living being', as opposed to a 'thing' or an 'object'. | |||
| Maltese | annimal | ||
| Annimal in Maltese also means 'soul' | |||
| Norwegian | dyr | ||
| Dyr' (animal) is derived from the Old Norse word 'dýr' meaning "beast of burden" or "wild animal". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | animal | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "animal" can also be used to refer to a "person without reason" or a "wild or uncivilized person." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | beathach | ||
| The word "beathach" can also refer to a beast, a brute, or a monster. | |||
| Spanish | animal | ||
| The word "animal" in Spanish is derived from the Latin word "animalis," meaning "having breath". | |||
| Swedish | djur- | ||
| The word "djur" in Swedish is distantly related to "deer" in English and "tier" in German, originally referring to a wild animal. | |||
| Welsh | anifail | ||
| "Anifail"'s root meaning is "soul" and it was historically used to describe people and animals | |||
Animal in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жывёла | ||
| The word "жывёла" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "životъ", meaning "life" or "creature". | |||
| Bosnian | životinja | ||
| The word "životinja" in Bosnian has the same origin as "život", meaning "life". | |||
| Bulgarian | животно | ||
| The word "животно" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic "životъ", meaning "life". | |||
| Czech | zvíře | ||
| The word "zvíře" in Czech can also refer to a beast, monster, or savage person. | |||
| Estonian | loom | ||
| The Estonian word "loom" also means "loom" in English, referring to a machine used in weaving. | |||
| Finnish | eläin | ||
| The word "eläin" may derive from "elää" ("to live"), but is also related to "eläke" ("pension") in the sense of "those who are fed". | |||
| Hungarian | állat | ||
| The Hungarian word "állat" also means "beast" or "brute", highlighting a negative connotation towards animals. | |||
| Latvian | dzīvnieks | ||
| “Dzīvnieks” comes from “dzīvs,” meaning “alive,” and the diminutive suffix “-nieks,” suggesting “a little life.” | |||
| Lithuanian | gyvūnas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "gyvūnas" is related to the Russian word "zhivotnogo", which derives from an Indo-European root that also gave us words like "bios" (life) and "vitality". | |||
| Macedonian | животно | ||
| The word 'животно' in Macedonian can also refer to a living being, a creature, or a human being. | |||
| Polish | zwierzę | ||
| "Zwierzę" originally meant "a living being" or "beast" and only later became an exclusively zoological term. | |||
| Romanian | animal | ||
| In Romanian, "animal" can also mean "beast" or "brute", and is sometimes used figuratively to describe a person who is considered uncivilized or cruel. | |||
| Russian | животное | ||
| The word "животное" also translates to "beast" or "creature" in English. | |||
| Serbian | животиња | ||
| The term 'životinja' also carries a connotation of 'living being'. | |||
| Slovak | zviera | ||
| The word "zviera" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*zvěrь", originally meaning "wild beast". | |||
| Slovenian | žival | ||
| The word 'žival' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *žīvъ, meaning 'alive'. | |||
| Ukrainian | тварина | ||
| The Ukrainian word "тварина" can also refer to a cruel or heartless person. | |||
Animal in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রাণী | ||
| প্রাণী' শব্দটি দুটি বৈদিক শব্দ 'প্র+আণী' থেকে এসেছে; যেখানে 'প্র' মানে মূল এবং 'আণী' মানে শ্বাস। | |||
| Gujarati | પ્રાણી | ||
| In Gujarati, 'પ્રાણી' can also mean 'living being' or 'creature', not just 'animal'. | |||
| Hindi | जानवर | ||
| The word जानवर (animal) in Hindi originally meant "living being" and is often used to refer to humans as well. | |||
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಾಣಿ | ||
| ಪ್ರಾಣಿ can also refer to a living being or a creature, similar to the English word "creature". | |||
| Malayalam | മൃഗം | ||
| The word 'മൃഗം' in Malayalam is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मृग' (mṛga), meaning 'beast' or 'animal'. It also refers specifically to deer, and in some contexts, to birds. | |||
| Marathi | प्राणी | ||
| The word "प्राणी" in Marathi originates from the Sanskrit word " प्राण," meaning "breath" or "life force," and can also refer to "living organisms" or "beings." | |||
| Nepali | जनावर | ||
| The word "जनावर" originally referred to wild animals, but its meaning has expanded to include all animals. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਾਨਵਰ | ||
| "ਜਾਨਵਰ" (animal) in Punjabi is also used to refer to a person who behaves like an animal. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සත්ව | ||
| "සත්ව" also means "beings" in general or "sentient beings" specifically, and is hence related to the Sanskrit word "sattva" which means "purity". | |||
| Tamil | விலங்கு | ||
| The Tamil word "விலங்கு" can also mean "ornament" or "shackle". | |||
| Telugu | జంతువు | ||
| The word "జంతువు" comes from the Sanskrit word "जंतु" (jantu), meaning "living being". | |||
| Urdu | جانور | ||
| The word "جانور" is also used to refer to a "beast" or a "monster" in Urdu, giving it a more menacing connotation. | |||
Animal in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 动物 | ||
| "动物" (animal) originally referred to creatures with spiritual powers, but later took on the meaning of ordinary animals. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 動物 | ||
| In ancient Chinese texts, '動物' could also mean 'a thing that makes a sound', such as a bell or a drum. | |||
| Japanese | 動物 | ||
| The Japanese word "動物" (dōbutsu) originally meant "beings that move" and also refers to plants and mushrooms. | |||
| Korean | 동물 | ||
| "동물" is derived from the Chinese word "動物", which can also mean "thing" or "creature." | |||
| Mongolian | амьтан | ||
| "Амьтан" means "creature", and also can refer to insects and birds in some contexts. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | တိရိစ္ဆာန် | ||
Animal in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | satwa | ||
| The root word for 'satwa' is a Sanskrit word 'satva' meaning 'being'. The term encompasses not only all forms of animals but also all forms of sentient creatures, including insects and plants. | |||
| Javanese | kewan | ||
| In Old Javanese, "kewan" also means "to live." | |||
| Khmer | សត្វ | ||
| The Khmer word "សត្វ" can also mean "beast" or "creature". | |||
| Lao | ສັດ | ||
| The Lao word "ສັດ" can also refer to a "beast", a "monster", or a "being". | |||
| Malay | haiwan | ||
| 'Haiwan' shares the same etymology as 'hayawan' in Arabic, meaning 'beast' or 'irrational creature'. | |||
| Thai | สัตว์ | ||
| The word "สัตว์" (s̀át) in Thai can refer to any living organism, including plants and bacteria | |||
| Vietnamese | động vật | ||
| The word "động vật" in Vietnamese literally means "that which moves", and can refer to both animals and plants. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hayop | ||
Animal in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | heyvan | ||
| "Heyvan" also means "monster" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | жануар | ||
| The word "жануар" is derived from the Turkic word "can"," soul" or "life force"} | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаныбар | ||
| The word "жаныбар" (animal) in Kyrgyz comes from the Persian word "جانور" (jaanvar), meaning "living being". | |||
| Tajik | ҳайвон | ||
| The word "ҳайвон" is derived from the Arabic word "حیوان", which also means "spirit". | |||
| Turkmen | haýwan | ||
| Uzbek | hayvon | ||
| Uyghur | ھايۋان | ||
Animal in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | holoholona | ||
| In Hawaiian mythology, the word "holoholona" also refers to an ancient race of shape-shifting creatures that could assume animal or human form. | |||
| Maori | kararehe | ||
| Kararehe is cognate with the word "kara" which means "to eat" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | manu | ||
| "Manu" in Samoan can also mean "bird" or a specific type of bird. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | hayop | ||
| Tagalog 'hayop' came from Proto-Austronesian *kayu, which meant 'wood,' 'tree', or 'thing made of wood,' and only later took on the meaning of 'beast.' | |||
Animal in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uywa | ||
| Guarani | mymba | ||
Animal in International Languages
| Esperanto | besto | ||
| The word "besto" in Esperanto is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰʷēr-, meaning "animal" or "beast". | |||
| Latin | animalis, | ||
| The Latin word "animalis" can refer to both animals and people, indicating one with a soul (animus). | |||
Animal in Others Languages
| Greek | ζώο | ||
| The word 'ζώο' in Greek derives from the verb 'ζάω,' meaning 'to live,' implying that animals are living beings. | |||
| Hmong | tsiaj | ||
| Derived from Old Hmong and also meaning 'livestock'. | |||
| Kurdish | teba | ||
| The Kurdish word "teba" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰéw-, meaning "living being". | |||
| Turkish | hayvan | ||
| In Turkish, the word "hayvan" can also refer to a "beast" or a "brute" | |||
| Xhosa | isilwanyana | ||
| In addition to its general meaning of "animal," "isilwanyana" also has specific uses to refer to animals used for transport or hunting. | |||
| Yiddish | כייַע | ||
| "כייַע" is also used to mean "pig" or "swine" in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | isilwane | ||
| 'Isilwane' is also a traditional Zulu beer that is made from maize meal and fermented sorghum. | |||
| Assamese | জন্তু | ||
| Aymara | uywa | ||
| Bhojpuri | मवेसी | ||
| Dhivehi | ޖަނަވާރު | ||
| Dogri | डंगर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | hayop | ||
| Guarani | mymba | ||
| Ilocano | animal | ||
| Krio | animal | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاژەڵ | ||
| Maithili | जानवर | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯥ | ||
| Mizo | ransa | ||
| Oromo | bineelda | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପଶୁ | ||
| Quechua | uywa | ||
| Sanskrit | पशु | ||
| Tatar | хайван | ||
| Tigrinya | እንስሳ | ||
| Tsonga | xiharhi | ||