Animal in Different Languages
Discover 'Animal' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Animal
Afrikaans dier | ||
Albanian kafshë | ||
Amharic እንስሳ | ||
Arabic حيوان | ||
Armenian կենդանական | ||
Assamese জন্তু | ||
Aymara uywa | ||
Azerbaijani heyvan | ||
Bambara bagan | ||
Basque animalia | ||
Belarusian жывёла | ||
Bengali প্রাণী | ||
Bhojpuri मवेसी | ||
Bosnian životinja | ||
Bulgarian животно | ||
Catalan animal | ||
Cebuano hayop | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 动物 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 動物 | ||
Corsican animale | ||
Croatian životinja | ||
Czech zvíře | ||
Danish dyr | ||
Dhivehi ޖަނަވާރު | ||
Dogri डंगर | ||
Dutch dier | ||
English animal | ||
Esperanto besto | ||
Estonian loom | ||
Ewe lã | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) hayop | ||
Finnish eläin | ||
French animal | ||
Frisian bist | ||
Galician animal | ||
Georgian ცხოველი | ||
German tier | ||
Greek ζώο | ||
Guarani mymba | ||
Gujarati પ્રાણી | ||
Haitian Creole bèt | ||
Hausa dabba | ||
Hawaiian holoholona | ||
Hebrew בעל חיים | ||
Hindi जानवर | ||
Hmong tsiaj | ||
Hungarian állat | ||
Icelandic dýr | ||
Igbo anụmanụ | ||
Ilocano animal | ||
Indonesian satwa | ||
Irish ainmhí | ||
Italian animale | ||
Japanese 動物 | ||
Javanese kewan | ||
Kannada ಪ್ರಾಣಿ | ||
Kazakh жануар | ||
Khmer សត្វ | ||
Kinyarwanda inyamaswa | ||
Konkani जनावर | ||
Korean 동물 | ||
Krio animal | ||
Kurdish teba | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ئاژەڵ | ||
Kyrgyz жаныбар | ||
Lao ສັດ | ||
Latin animalis, | ||
Latvian dzīvnieks | ||
Lingala nyama | ||
Lithuanian gyvūnas | ||
Luganda ensolo | ||
Luxembourgish déier | ||
Macedonian животно | ||
Maithili जानवर | ||
Malagasy biby | ||
Malay haiwan | ||
Malayalam മൃഗം | ||
Maltese annimal | ||
Maori kararehe | ||
Marathi प्राणी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯥ | ||
Mizo ransa | ||
Mongolian амьтан | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) တိရိစ္ဆာန် | ||
Nepali जनावर | ||
Norwegian dyr | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) nyama | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପଶୁ | ||
Oromo bineelda | ||
Pashto ځناور | ||
Persian حیوان | ||
Polish zwierzę | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) animal | ||
Punjabi ਜਾਨਵਰ | ||
Quechua uywa | ||
Romanian animal | ||
Russian животное | ||
Samoan manu | ||
Sanskrit पशु | ||
Scots Gaelic beathach | ||
Sepedi phoofolo | ||
Serbian животиња | ||
Sesotho phoofolo | ||
Shona mhuka | ||
Sindhi حيوان | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) සත්ව | ||
Slovak zviera | ||
Slovenian žival | ||
Somali xayawaan | ||
Spanish animal | ||
Sundanese sato | ||
Swahili mnyama | ||
Swedish djur- | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) hayop | ||
Tajik ҳайвон | ||
Tamil விலங்கு | ||
Tatar хайван | ||
Telugu జంతువు | ||
Thai สัตว์ | ||
Tigrinya እንስሳ | ||
Tsonga xiharhi | ||
Turkish hayvan | ||
Turkmen haýwan | ||
Twi (Akan) aboa | ||
Ukrainian тварина | ||
Urdu جانور | ||
Uyghur ھايۋان | ||
Uzbek hayvon | ||
Vietnamese động vật | ||
Welsh anifail | ||
Xhosa isilwanyana | ||
Yiddish כייַע | ||
Yoruba ẹranko | ||
Zulu isilwane |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "dier" is derived from the Proto-Germanic term "*deor", meaning "beast". |
| Albanian | Kafshë may also refer to a type of traditional Albanian footwear |
| Amharic | The word "እንስሳ" is also used to refer to animals that are not typically considered to be wild, such as pets and livestock. |
| Arabic | حيوان comes from the Arabic verb حيي which means 'to live', so it can also refer to any living organism, including plants. |
| Azerbaijani | "Heyvan" also means "monster" in Azerbaijani. |
| Basque | The Basque word 'animalia' is derived from the Latin 'animalis', meaning 'having breath' or 'having life'. |
| Belarusian | The word "жывёла" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "životъ", meaning "life" or "creature". |
| Bengali | প্রাণী' শব্দটি দুটি বৈদিক শব্দ 'প্র+আণী' থেকে এসেছে; যেখানে 'প্র' মানে মূল এবং 'আণী' মানে শ্বাস। |
| Bosnian | The word "životinja" in Bosnian has the same origin as "život", meaning "life". |
| Bulgarian | The word "животно" ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic "životъ", meaning "life". |
| Catalan | In Catalan, the word "animal" can also refer to a "beast" or a "monster", which is likely influenced by its Latin origins. |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, the word "hayop" can also mean "bad person" or "beast." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "动物" (animal) originally referred to creatures with spiritual powers, but later took on the meaning of ordinary animals. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | In ancient Chinese texts, '動物' could also mean 'a thing that makes a sound', such as a bell or a drum. |
| Corsican | Animale is also used to refer to a particular breed of dog from Corsica known as the Corsican Shepherd. |
| Croatian | The word "životinja" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *živъ, meaning "life", and is related to the word "život" ("life") in modern Croatian. |
| Czech | The word "zvíře" in Czech can also refer to a beast, monster, or savage person. |
| Danish | The word ‘dyr’ can in some contexts also refer to expensive jewellery |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "dier" can also mean "beast" or "creature" in a more general sense. |
| Esperanto | The word "besto" in Esperanto is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰʷēr-, meaning "animal" or "beast". |
| Estonian | The Estonian word "loom" also means "loom" in English, referring to a machine used in weaving. |
| Finnish | The word "eläin" may derive from "elää" ("to live"), but is also related to "eläke" ("pension") in the sense of "those who are fed". |
| French | 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 | The Frisian word "bist" is a cognate of the English word "beast", which ultimately derives from the Latin word "bestia", meaning "wild animal". |
| Galician | The Galician word "animal" derives from the Latin "animalis", meaning "creature with breath", encompassing both living and inanimate things. |
| Georgian | The Georgian word ცხოველი is derived from the Proto-Kartvelian root *cxo- (“to live”) and is cognate with the Laz cxova (“animal”) and Mingrelian çḳu (“animal”). |
| German | The German word "Tier" can also refer to a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. |
| Greek | The word 'ζώο' in Greek derives from the verb 'ζάω,' meaning 'to live,' implying that animals are living beings. |
| Gujarati | In Gujarati, 'પ્રાણી' can also mean 'living being' or 'creature', not just 'animal'. |
| Haitian Creole | "Bèt" can also mean "thing" or "creature" in Haitian Creole. |
| Hausa | "Dabba" may also refer specifically to a lion, a snake, or a vulture. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian mythology, the word "holoholona" also refers to an ancient race of shape-shifting creatures that could assume animal or human form. |
| Hebrew | The word "בעל חיים" (animal) is a Hebrew term that literally means "owner of life". |
| Hindi | The word जानवर (animal) in Hindi originally meant "living being" and is often used to refer to humans as well. |
| Hmong | Derived from Old Hmong and also meaning 'livestock'. |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian word "állat" also means "beast" or "brute", highlighting a negative connotation towards animals. |
| Icelandic | Related to the words 'deer' and 'door', 'dýr' is thought to derive from an Indo-European root referring to 'wild animal'. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word for 'animal', 'anụmanụ', also refers to all non-human living creatures, including plants and insects. |
| Indonesian | 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. |
| Irish | The word "ainmhí" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʷʰen-", meaning "to slay" or "to kill". |
| Italian | 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". |
| Japanese | The Japanese word "動物" (dōbutsu) originally meant "beings that move" and also refers to plants and mushrooms. |
| Javanese | In Old Javanese, "kewan" also means "to live." |
| Kannada | ಪ್ರಾಣಿ can also refer to a living being or a creature, similar to the English word "creature". |
| Kazakh | The word "жануар" is derived from the Turkic word "can"," soul" or "life force"} |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "សត្វ" can also mean "beast" or "creature". |
| Korean | "동물" is derived from the Chinese word "動物", which can also mean "thing" or "creature." |
| Kurdish | The Kurdish word "teba" is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰéw-, meaning "living being". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "жаныбар" (animal) in Kyrgyz comes from the Persian word "جانور" (jaanvar), meaning "living being". |
| Lao | The Lao word "ສັດ" can also refer to a "beast", a "monster", or a "being". |
| Latin | The Latin word "animalis" can refer to both animals and people, indicating one with a soul (animus). |
| Latvian | “Dzīvnieks” comes from “dzīvs,” meaning “alive,” and the diminutive suffix “-nieks,” suggesting “a little life.” |
| Lithuanian | 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". |
| Luxembourgish | Déier is an old word for a 'living being', as opposed to a 'thing' or an 'object'. |
| Macedonian | The word 'животно' in Macedonian can also refer to a living being, a creature, or a human being. |
| Malagasy | "Biby" can refer to both wild and domestic animals, as well as pets. |
| Malay | 'Haiwan' shares the same etymology as 'hayawan' in Arabic, meaning 'beast' or 'irrational creature'. |
| Malayalam | 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. |
| Maltese | Annimal in Maltese also means 'soul' |
| Maori | Kararehe is cognate with the word "kara" which means "to eat" in Maori. |
| Marathi | 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." |
| Mongolian | "Амьтан" means "creature", and also can refer to insects and birds in some contexts. |
| Nepali | The word "जनावर" originally referred to wild animals, but its meaning has expanded to include all animals. |
| Norwegian | Dyr' (animal) is derived from the Old Norse word 'dýr' meaning "beast of burden" or "wild animal". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | 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. |
| Pashto | In Pashto, the word "ځناور" (animal) is derived from the Persian word "جنور" with the same meaning. |
| Persian | The Persian word "حیوان" can also refer to "beast", "creature" or "living being". |
| Polish | "Zwierzę" originally meant "a living being" or "beast" and only later became an exclusively zoological term. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, the word "animal" can also be used to refer to a "person without reason" or a "wild or uncivilized person." |
| Punjabi | "ਜਾਨਵਰ" (animal) in Punjabi is also used to refer to a person who behaves like an animal. |
| Romanian | 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 | The word "животное" also translates to "beast" or "creature" in English. |
| Samoan | "Manu" in Samoan can also mean "bird" or a specific type of bird. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "beathach" can also refer to a beast, a brute, or a monster. |
| Serbian | The term 'životinja' also carries a connotation of 'living being'. |
| Sesotho | "Phoofolo" is derived from the root "phoof", meaning "to breathe," and is cognate with "phoofolo" in Zulu, meaning "living being." |
| Shona | "Mhuka" is derived from the Bantu root "-uka", meaning "to go". It originally referred to wild animals that roamed libremente. |
| Sindhi | The word "حيوان" can also refer to a beast or evil creature in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "සත්ව" also means "beings" in general or "sentient beings" specifically, and is hence related to the Sanskrit word "sattva" which means "purity". |
| Slovak | The word "zviera" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*zvěrь", originally meaning "wild beast". |
| Slovenian | The word 'žival' is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *žīvъ, meaning 'alive'. |
| Somali | Somali "xayawaan" is derived from Arabic "ḥayawān," "living creature," also "beast." |
| Spanish | The word "animal" in Spanish is derived from the Latin word "animalis," meaning "having breath". |
| Sundanese | In the Sundanese language of West Java, Indonesia, "sato" also refers to a specific type of domesticated animal, such as a dog or cat. |
| Swahili | Mnyama can also mean a wild animal or a beast. |
| Swedish | The word "djur" in Swedish is distantly related to "deer" in English and "tier" in German, originally referring to a wild animal. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | 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.' |
| Tajik | The word "ҳайвон" is derived from the Arabic word "حیوان", which also means "spirit". |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "விலங்கு" can also mean "ornament" or "shackle". |
| Telugu | The word "జంతువు" comes from the Sanskrit word "जंतु" (jantu), meaning "living being". |
| Thai | The word "สัตว์" (s̀át) in Thai can refer to any living organism, including plants and bacteria |
| Turkish | In Turkish, the word "hayvan" can also refer to a "beast" or a "brute" |
| Ukrainian | The Ukrainian word "тварина" can also refer to a cruel or heartless person. |
| Urdu | The word "جانور" is also used to refer to a "beast" or a "monster" in Urdu, giving it a more menacing connotation. |
| Vietnamese | The word "động vật" in Vietnamese literally means "that which moves", and can refer to both animals and plants. |
| Welsh | "Anifail"'s root meaning is "soul" and it was historically used to describe people and animals |
| Xhosa | In addition to its general meaning of "animal," "isilwanyana" also has specific uses to refer to animals used for transport or hunting. |
| Yiddish | "כייַע" is also used to mean "pig" or "swine" in Yiddish. |
| Yoruba | "Erànko" in Yoruba can also refer to a wild beast or a mythical creature. |
| Zulu | 'Isilwane' is also a traditional Zulu beer that is made from maize meal and fermented sorghum. |
| English | The word "animal" comes from the Latin "animalis," meaning "having breath" or "living." |