Vocabulary: Learn animal names in French
Are you curious about how to say a dog, a monkey, or other animals in French?
In the list below, you can enrich your vocabulary with a variety of animal names. Practice pronunciation with the provided IPA phonetic transcriptions to enhance your speaking skills and remember these animal names.
This compilation includes common animals that are handy to know, especially if you enjoy discussing this topic in French.
List of animal names in French
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| une abeille | /a.bɛj/ | bee |
| un aigle | /ɛɡl/ | eagle |
| un alligator | /a.li.ɡa.tɔʁ/ | alligator |
| un âne | /ɑn/ | donkey |
| une araignée | /a.ʁɛ.ɲe/ | spider |
| une autruche | /o.tʁyʃ/ | ostrich |
| une baleine | /ba.lɛn/ | whale |
| une belette | /bə.lɛt/ | weasel |
| un bélier | /be.lje/ | ram |
| une biche | /biʃ/ | doe |
| un bison | /bi.zɔ̃/ | bison |
| un blaireau | /blɛ.ʁo/ | badger |
| une blatte | /blat/ | cockroach |
| un bouc | /buk/ | billy goat |
| une brebis | /bʁə.bi/ | ewe |
| un cachalot | /ka.ʃa.lo/ | sperm whale |
| un caméléon | /ka.me.le.ɔ̃/ | chameleon |
| un canard | /ka.naʁ/ | duck |
| un canari | /ka.na.ʁi/ | canary |
| un castor | /ka.stɔʁ/ | beaver |
| un cerf | /sɛʁf/ | deer |
| un chameau | /ʃa.mo/ | camel |
| un chat | /ʃa/ | cat |
| une chauve-souris | /ʃov.su.ʁi/ | bat |
| une chenille | /ʃə.nil/ | caterpillar |
| un cheval | /ʃə.val/ | horse |
| une chèvre | /ʃɛvʁ/ | goat |
| un chien | /ʃjɛ̃/ | dog |
| un chimpanzé | /ʃɛ̃.pan.ze/ | chimpanzee |
| une chouette (1) | /ʃwɛt/ | owl |
| une coccinelle | /kɔk.si.nɛl/ | ladybug |
| un cochon | /kɔ.ʃɔ̃/ | pig |
| un cochon d’Inde | /kɔ.ʃɔ̃ dɛ̃d/ | guinea pig |
| une colombe | /kɔ.lɔ̃b/ | dove |
| un condor | /kɔ̃.dɔʁ/ | condor |
| un coq | /kɔk/ | rooster |
| un corbeau | /kɔʁ.bo/ | raven |
| un crapaud | /kʁa.po/ | toad |
| un crocodile | /kʁɔ.kɔ.dil/ | crocodile |
| un cygne | /siɲ/ | swan |
| un dauphin | /do.fɛ̃/ | dolphin |
| un dindon | /dɛ̃.dɔ̃/ | turkey |
| un dromadaire | /dʁɔ.ma.dɛʁ/ | dromedary |
| un écureuil | /e.ky.ʁœj/ | squirrel |
| un éléphant | /e.le.fɑ̃/ | elephant |
| un escargot | /ɛs.kaʁ.ɡo/ | snail |
| un faucon | /fo.kɔ̃/ | falcon |
| une fourmi | /fuʁ.mi/ | ant |
| un furet | /fy.ʁɛ/ | ferret |
| une girafe | /ʒi.ʁaf/ | giraffe |
| un gorille | /ɡɔ.ʁij/ | gorilla |
| une grenouille | /ɡʁə.nuj/ | frog |
| un guépard | /ɡe.paʁ/ | cheetah |
| une guêpe | /ɡɛp/ | wasp |
| un hamster | /ɑ̃s.tɛʁ/ | hamster |
| un hibou (1) | /i.bu/ | owl |
| un hippopotame | /i.po.pɔ.ta.m/ | hippopotamus |
| une hyène | /i.ɛn/ | hyena |
| un jaguar | /ʒa.ɡwaʁ/ | jaguar |
| un kangourou | /kɑ̃.ɡu.ʁu/ | kangaroo |
| un lapin | /la.pɛ̃/ | rabbit |
| un léopard | /le.o.paʁ/ | leopard |
| un lézard | /le.zaʁ/ | lizard |
| une libellule | /li.bɛ.lyl/ | dragonfly |
| un lion | /li.ɔ̃/ | lion |
| un loup | /lu/ | wolf |
| une loutre | /lu.tʁ/ | otter |
| un lynx | /lɛ̃ks/ | lynx |
| un mammouth | /ma.mu/ | mammoth |
| un manchot (2) | /mɑ̃.ʃo/ | penguin |
| une méduse | /me.dy.z/ | jellyfish |
| un mille-pattes | /mil.pat/ | centipede |
| un morse | /mɔʁs/ | walrus |
| une mouche | /muʃ/ | fly |
| un moustique | /mu.stik/ | mosquito |
| un mouton | /mu.tɔ̃/ | sheep |
| un mulet | /my.lɛ/ | mule |
| une oie | /wa/ | goose |
| un oiseau | /waz.o/ | bird |
| un orang-outan | /ɔ.ʁɑ̃.ɡu.tɑ̃/ | orangutan |
| un ornithorynque | /ɔʁ.ni.tɔ.ʁɛ̃k/ | platypus |
| une otarie | /ɔ.ta.ʁi/ | sea lion |
| un ours | /uʁs/ | bear |
| un ours polaire | /uʁs pɔ.lɛʁ/ | polar bear |
| un panda | /pɑ̃.da/ | panda |
| une panthère | /pɑ̃.tɛʁ/ | panther |
| un paon | /pɑ̃/ | peacock |
| un papillon | /pa.pi.jɔ̃/ | butterfly |
| un pélican | /pe.li.kɑ̃/ | pelican |
| un perroquet | /pɛ.ʁɔ.kɛ/ | parrot |
| un phoque | /fɔk/ | seal |
| un pigeon | /pi.ʒɔ̃/ | pigeon |
| un pingouin (2) | /pɛ̃.ɡwɛ̃/ | penguin |
| un poisson | /pwa.sɔ̃/ | fish |
| un poisson rouge | /pwa.sɔ̃ ʁuʒ/ | goldfish |
| un poney | /pɔ.nɛ/ | pony |
| une poule | /pul/ | hen |
| un poulet | /pu.lɛ/ | chicken |
| un puma | /py.ma/ | puma |
| un rat | /ʁa/ | rat |
| un renard | /ʁə.naʁ/ | fox |
| un requin | /ʁə.kɛ̃/ | shark |
| un sanglier | /sɑ̃.ɡli.e/ | boar |
| un scorpion | /skɔʁ.pjɔ̃/ | scorpion |
| un serpent | /sɛʁ.pɑ̃/ | snake |
| un singe | /sɛ̃ʒ/ | monkey |
| une souris | /su.ʁi/ | mouse |
| un taureau | /to.ʁo/ | bull |
| un tigre | /tiɡʁ/ | tiger |
| une tortue | /tɔʁ.ty/ | turtle |
| une tortue de mer | /tɔʁ.ty də mɛʁ/ | sea turtle |
| une truie | /tʁɥi/ | sow |
| une truite | /tʁɥit/ | trout |
| une vache | /vaʃ/ | cow |
| un rhinocéros | /ʁi.nɔ.se.ʁɔs/ | rhinoceros |
| un zèbre | /zɛbʁ/ | zebra |
Note (1): In French ‘owl’ can mean ‘une chouette’ or ‘un hibou’, they are both birds of prey, but ‘hibou’ has egrets on his head, and ‘chouette’ doesn’t, you can see the difference on the pictures below:
-
un hibou
-
une chouette
Note (2): In French ‘penguin’ can mean ‘un manchot’ or ‘un pingouin’.
‘Manchots’ are birds who live in the Antarctic, in the Southern Hemisphere. They can’t run or fly, but they can swim underwater with their wings. (Emperor penguin, Humboldt penguin, Cape penguin).
‘Pingouins’ are birds who live in the Northern Hemisphere (Arctic). They can fly. They are birds of the family Alcidae (auks).
-
Manchot de Humboldt
-
Pingouin torda
Male, Female, and Baby Names of Animals in French
- Chien = dog (male) – chienne = bitch (female) – chiot = puppy (baby)
- Cheval = horse (male) – jument = mare (female) – poulain = foal (baby)
- Chat = cat (male) – chatte = female cat (female) – chaton = kitten (baby)
- Vache = cow (female) – taureau = bull (male) – veau = calf (baby)
- Poule = hen (female) – coq = rooster (male) – poussin = chick (baby)
- Lion = lion (male) – lionne = lioness (female) – lionceau = lion cub (baby)
- Éléphant = elephant (male) – éléphante = female elephant (female) – éléphanteau = elephant calf (baby)
- Ours = bear (male) – ourse = female bear (female) – ourson = bear cub (baby)
- Tigre = tiger (male) – tigresse = tigress (female) – tigreau = tiger cub (baby)
- Singe = monkey (male) – guenon = female monkey (female) – bébé singe = baby monkey (baby)
- Canard = duck (male) – cane = female duck (female) – caneton = duckling (baby)
- Loup = wolf (male) – louve = female wolf (female) – louveteau = wolf cub (baby)
- Poisson = fish (male) – poisson = female fish (female) – alevin = fish fry (baby)
- Oiseau = bird (male) – oiseau = bird (female) – oisillon = chick (baby bird)
- Grenouille = frog (male) – grenouille = frog (female) – têtard = tadpole (baby)
- Baleine = whale (male) – baleine = whale (female) – baleineau = whale calf (baby)
- Bouc = goat (male) – chèvre = goat (female) – chevreau = kid (baby)
- Cerf = buck/stag (male) – biche = hind/doe (female) – faon = fawn (baby)
- Porc = pig (male) – truie = sow (female) – porcelet = piglet (baby)
- Sanglier = wild boar (male) – laie = sow (female) – marcassin = boar piglet (baby)
- Chameau = camel (male) – chamelle = she-camel (female) – chamelon = camel calf (baby)
I hope this list of animal names was useful for you, if you have any questions, please leave a comment.
