Pet in different languages

Pet in Different Languages

Discover 'Pet' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'pet' holds a special place in our hearts and homes, representing the companionship and joy that our beloved animal friends bring into our lives. From dogs and cats to birds and fish, pets come in all shapes and sizes, each with their unique charm and personality. Throughout history, pets have not only provided us with emotional support but also served practical purposes, such as hunting, herding, and guarding.

Across different cultures and languages, the concept of a pet remains remarkably consistent, reflecting our universal appreciation for the bond between humans and animals. Understanding the translation of 'pet' in various languages can open doors to cross-cultural communication and foster a sense of global community. For instance, in Spanish, a pet is referred to as 'mascota,' while in French, it's 'animal de compagnie.' In Mandarin Chinese, the term is '宠物' (chǒngwù), and in Japanese, it's 'ペット' (petto).

Join us as we explore the translations of 'pet' in a variety of languages, shedding light on the fascinating cultural nuances that shape our relationship with these cherished creatures.

Pet


Pet in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanstroeteldier
The Afrikaans word "troeteldier" is derived from the Dutch word "troeteldier", which itself is derived from "troetelen" (to fondle).
Amharicየቤት እንስሳ
Hausadabbobin gida
Hausa "dabbobin gida" (pet) derives from "dabba" (to catch) and "gida" (food), reflecting the concept of catching and nurturing animals for consumption.
Igbopita
The word "Pita" in Igbo can also refer to a favorite person, a close friend, or a sweetheart.
Malagasypet
In Malagasy, "pet" (petaka) originally meant "box, trunk, cupboard" and has also been used to refer to "valise, suitcase" and "coffin, urn, casket".
Nyanja (Chichewa)chiweto
Chiweto is a diminutive form of the word chiweto meaning "slave".
Shonadzinovaraidza
The word "dzinovaraidza" can also be used to refer to a person who is very close to someone else, like a best friend or sibling.
Somalixayawaanka rabaayada ah
The Somali word for "pet", xayawaanka rabaayada ah, includes both domestic and wild animals kept for pleasure or companionship.
Sesothophoofolo ea lapeng
The word "phoofolo ea lapeng" not only means "pet" but also refers to wild animals used for domestic purposes.
Swahilimnyama kipenzi
"Mnyama kipenzi" is the Swahili term for "pet", and also translates to "beloved animal."
Xhosaisilwanyana sasekhaya
The word 'isilwanyana' means 'animal', while 'sekhaya' means 'at home', together giving the meaning of 'pet'
Yorubaohun ọsin
The Yoruba word "ohun ọsin" can refer to both domestic and wild animals owned for pleasure or companionship.
Zuluisilwane
"Isilwane" also means a large wild animal (beast).
Bambarasokɔbagan misɛni
Eweameƒelã
Kinyarwandaamatungo
Lingalanyama ya kobokola
Lugandaekisolo
Sepediseruiwaratwa
Twi (Akan)ayɛmmoa

Pet in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicحيوان اليف
In Arabic, "حيوان اليف" ("pet") derives from the root "ألف" ("to be familiar with"), and refers to an animal that is tamed and kept for companionship.
Hebrewחיית מחמד
The Hebrew word "חיית מחמד" (pet) literally translates to "living creature of affection."
Pashtoځناور
The Pashto word "ځناور" also means "animal" in general and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰʷḗr" meaning "wild animal."
Arabicحيوان اليف
In Arabic, "حيوان اليف" ("pet") derives from the root "ألف" ("to be familiar with"), and refers to an animal that is tamed and kept for companionship.

Pet in Western European Languages

Albaniankafshë shtëpiake
The word "kafshë shtëpiake" in Albanian can also refer to a "domestic animal", such as a cat or a dog.
Basquemaskota
The Basque word "maskota" is derived from the Latin word "mascotus", meaning "animal considered to bring good luck"
Catalanmascota
Catalan "mascota" has other meanings like "a lucky charm", "a person who brings good luck", or "a person who is loved", all coming from the Italian "mascotte".
Croatianljubimac
"Ljubimac" also means "lover" or "sweetheart" in Croatian, suggesting a close and affectionate relationship between humans and their pets.
Danishkæledyr
The word "kæledyr" originally referred to domestic animals, but its meaning has expanded to include any animal kept for companionship or pleasure.
Dutchhuisdier
The Dutch word "huisdier" shares a root with the word "dier," which means "animal," but "huis" specifically refers to a "house."
Englishpet
Frenchanimal de compagnie
"Animal de compagnie" literally means "companion animal" in French, and can refer to any type of animal kept for companionship, including dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits.
Frisianhúsdier
The word "húsdier" is derived from the words "hús" (house) and "dier" (animal), implying that a pet is an animal that lives in the same house as its owner.
Galicianmascota
The name "mascota" also refers to an animal that is used to attract good luck or to protect against bad luck (amulet).
Germanhaustier
Haustier is a compound word derived from the words Haus (house) and Tier (animal), implying an animal kept in the household.
Icelandicgæludýr
"Gæludýr" can also refer to farm animals.
Irishpeata
The Irish word "peata" can also mean "darling" or "sweetheart"
Italiananimale domestico
In Italian, "animale domestico" (pet) translates literally to "domestic animal," but also refers to a family member in a term of endearment.
Luxembourgishhausdéier
“Hausdéier” means “animals kept exclusively for the amusement of the owner,” and can include birds, reptiles, and fish.
Malteseannimali domestiċi
Norwegiankjæledyr
In Norwegian, "kjæledyr" literally means "dear animal".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)animal
The word "animal" in Portuguese can also refer to a stuffed animal or toy.
Scots Gaelicpeata
In earlier times, the word "peata" was also used in Scots Gaelic to refer to a tame animal kept for hunting or entertainment, rather than a pet in the modern sense.
Spanishmascota
The Spanish word "mascota" derives from the Nahuatl word "mazatl", meaning "deer".
Swedishsällskapsdjur
The Swedish word "sällskapsdjur" literally means "companionship animal".
Welshanifail anwes
The Welsh word 'anifail anwes' is derived from the Latin 'animal' and can also refer to 'livestock' or 'beast'.

Pet in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianхатняе жывёла
The word "хатняе жывёла" has historically also been used in Belarusian to denote "domestic animal", not just "pet."
Bosnianljubimac
The Serbian word "ljubimac" comes from the verb "ljubiti," meaning "to love," and can also refer to a lover or a favorite thing.
Bulgarianдомашен любимец
The Bulgarian word "домашен любимец" (pet) also means "house favorite" or "home favorite". This reflects the special place that pets often hold in Bulgarian families and homes.
Czechmazlíček
The word "mazlíček" in Czech comes from the verb "mazlit se", meaning "to cuddle" or "to caress."
Estonianlemmikloom
"Lemmikloom" derives from "lemb" meaning "love" and "loom" meaning "creature", thus literally translating to "love creature".
Finnishlemmikki-
The word "lemmikki" also means "darling" or "sweetheart" when used as a term of endearment.
Hungarianházi kedvenc
"Házi" means "house" or "domestic" while "kedvenc" literally means "favorite". So "házi kedvenc" means "domestic favorite".
Latvianmājdzīvnieks
The word "mājdzīvnieks" also means "domestic animal" in Latvian.
Lithuanianaugintinis
The word "augintinis" is derived from "auginti", meaning "to nurse" or "to rear", reflecting the close bond between humans and their domesticated animals.
Macedonianмиленик
Derived from the Proto-Slavic root *milъ, meaning "kind" or "dear"
Polishzwierzę domowe
The word "zwierzę domowe" literally translates to "an animal of the home" in Polish.
Romaniananimal de companie
In Romanian, "animal de companie" literally means "companion animal", reflecting the affectionate bond between humans and their pets.
Russianдомашнее животное
Домашнее животное's etymology is from the Old Slavic word 'domŭ', meaning 'house', and the suffix '-nee', meaning 'pertaining to'.
Serbianкућни љубимац
'Кућни љубимац' derives from 'кућни, куће' (home, house), and 'љубити' (to love). In the past, this word referred exclusively to dogs, and the word for 'cat' was 'маца' or 'маче'. Today, both 'кућни љубимац' and 'маца' can refer to both dogs and cats.
Slovakdomáce zviera
In some Slovak dialects, "domace zvera "means 'livestock'.
Slovenianhišne živali
The word 'hišne živali' comes from the Slavic word 'hiz', meaning 'house', thus conveying the meaning of 'house animal'.
Ukrainianдомашня тварина
The word "домашня тварина" can also refer to a pet animal, such as a dog or cat.

Pet in South Asian Languages

Bengaliপোষা প্রাণী
The word "pet" comes from the Old French word "petit," meaning "little".
Gujaratiપાલતુ
The Gujarati word "પાલતુ" can also refer to something that is domesticated, trained, or tame, not just a pet.
Hindiपालतू पशु
The word "पालतू पशु" in Hindi is derived from the word "पालना," which means "to protect or nourish."
Kannadaಪಿಇಟಿ
ಪಿಇಟಿ (pet) word comes from the word "ಪ್ರೇಮ" (prēma) meaning "love" and it can also mean an affectionate term of address to a child.
Malayalamവളർത്തുമൃഗങ്ങൾ
The word "pet" comes from the Middle English word "petten," which means "to stroke or caress."
Marathiपाळीव प्राणी
The Marathi word "पाळीव प्राणी" (pāḷīv prāṇī) literally means "domesticated creature," but can also refer to any domesticated animal, including livestock.
Nepaliघरपालुवा जनावर
The word "घरपालुवा जनावर" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पशु," meaning "animal," and the Tibetan word "གནས་," meaning "to stay."
Punjabiਪਾਲਤੂ
ਪਾਲਤੂ originally meant 'to tend (cattle)' and is derived from the Sanskrit root 'पाल्' (to protect).
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සුරතල්
"Pet" (pronounced "sutural" in Sinhala) can also refer to a favorite person in one's heart and beloved friend in Sinhala, akin to a "sweetheart".
Tamilசெல்லம்
Teluguపెంపుడు జంతువు
The word "pet" is derived from the Middle English word "petten," which means "to caress or stroke."
Urduپالتو جانور
The word "پالتو جانور" literally means "protected animal" and refers to domestic animals, while "پالتو" also means "tame, domesticated".

Pet in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)宠物
“宠物”本意为饲养的狗,引申为泛指所有家养动物。
Chinese (Traditional)寵物
寵物 is a loanword from English. In modern usage it is a noun for any domesticated animal kept for companionship.
Japaneseペット
The word "ペット" can also refer to a "spoiled child" or a "kept man" in Japanese.
Korean애완 동물
"애완" is a Hanja word meaning "to cherish" or "to love", and "동물" means "animal". It is cognate with the Japanese word "aiban" which also means "pet". In Korean, "애완 동물" can refer to any type of pet, but it is most commonly used to refer to dogs and cats.
Mongolianгэрийн тэжээвэр амьтан
The word "pet" comes from the Middle English word "pette," which means "small animal" or "darling."
Myanmar (Burmese)အိမ်မွေးတိရိစ္ဆာန်

Pet in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmembelai
The word "membelai" also refers to a "tender embrace" or "caress" in Indonesian.
Javanesekewan ingon
The Javanese word "kewan ingon" can also refer to livestock or animals that live near humans but not necessarily owned, such as feral cats.
Khmerសត្វចិញ្ចឹម
The Khmer word "សត្វចិញ្ចឹម" (pet) can also be used to refer to livestock, and is derived from the Sanskrit word "पशु" (paśu), meaning "animal" or "beast".
Laoສັດລ້ຽງ
Malayhaiwan peliharaan
The word "haiwan peliharaan" combines the Malay words "haiwan" (animal) and "peliharaan" (kept or domesticated), capturing the idea of a domesticated animal kept for companionship or practical purposes.
Thaiสัตว์เลี้ยง
"สัตว์เลี้ยง" (s̄at l̄īang) literally translates to "raised animal" and can also refer to animals reared for food.
Vietnamesevật nuôi
The word "vật nuôi" literally means "a thing that is fed".
Filipino (Tagalog)alagang hayop

Pet in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniev heyvanı
The word "ev heyvanı" (pet) in Azerbaijani language derives from the word "ev" (house) and "heyvan" (animal), meaning an animal that is kept as a companion or helper in the house.
Kazakhүй жануарлары
'Үй жануарлары' directly translates to 'house animals' and refers to domesticated animals kept for companionship and affection.
Kyrgyzүй жаныбары
The Kyrgyz word "үй жаныбары" can also refer to a familiar spirit that resides in the home and protects its inhabitants.
Tajikпет
Tajik word "Пет" originally meant "animal" and only later came to mean "pet".
Turkmenöý haýwanlary
Uzbekuy hayvoni
Uy hayvoni is also used in Uzbek to describe any domesticated animal.
Uyghurئەرمەك ھايۋان

Pet in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianholoholona ʻino
The term "holoholona ʻino" ('pet') in Hawaiian originally meant 'wandering animal,' referring to feral pigs in ancient Hawaiʻi.
Maorimōkai
The Māori word "mōkai" can also refer to food for pets or people.
Samoanfagafao
Despite being usually translated as "pet", "fagafao" can also mean "favorite" or "beloved" in Samoan.
Tagalog (Filipino)alaga
The word “alaga” also means "care" or "nurture" in Tagalog.

Pet in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarauywa
Guaranitymba

Pet in International Languages

Esperantodorlotbesto
The Esperanto word `dorlotbesto` is a compound of `dorloti` (`to pamper/coddle/spoil`) and `besto` (`beast/animal`).
Latinpet
The Latin verb "petere" means "to seek" or "to ask" and is the origin of the English word "petition".

Pet in Others Languages

Greekκατοικίδιο ζώο
The word "κατοικίδιο ζώο" originally comes from the Greek root "οικος", meaning "home".
Hmongtsiaj
Although written identically, "'tsiaj" can refer to either a "pet" or "to raise", depending how it's used in context.
Kurdishterşê kedî
Turkishevcil hayvan
"Evcil hayvan" means "domestic animal" in Turkish, but it can also be used to refer to a "familiar spirit" or a "spirit animal".
Xhosaisilwanyana sasekhaya
The word 'isilwanyana' means 'animal', while 'sekhaya' means 'at home', together giving the meaning of 'pet'
Yiddishליבלינג
The Yiddish word "ליבלינג" is derived from the German word "liebling", meaning "darling" or "beloved".
Zuluisilwane
"Isilwane" also means a large wild animal (beast).
Assameseপোহনীয়া জীৱ
Aymarauywa
Bhojpuriपालतू जानवर
Dhivehiގޭގައި ގެންގުޅޭ ޖަނަވާރު
Dogriपालतू
Filipino (Tagalog)alagang hayop
Guaranitymba
Ilocanoalaga
Krioanimal we yu gi nem
Kurdish (Sorani)ئاژەڵی ماڵی
Maithiliपालतू
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯌꯨꯝꯗ ꯂꯣꯏꯕ ꯁꯥ
Mizoran
Oromohorii mana keessatti guddifatan
Odia (Oriya)ଗୃହପାଳିତ ପଶୁ
Quechuawasi uywa
Sanskritलालितकः
Tatarйорт хайваны
Tigrinyaእንስሳ ዘቤት
Tsongaxifuwo

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