Vocabulary: Learn animal names in French
Want to know how to say dog, monkey, or elephant in French? Below are 115+ animal names with IPA pronunciation.
They’re organized into six categories so you can find what you need quickly: pets, farm animals, wild animals, birds, sea creatures, and insects.
Jump to a category: Pets & Companion Animals · Farm Animals · Wild Animals · Birds · Sea Creatures · Insects & Small Critters · FAQ
Pets & Companion Animals
The animals we encounter daily, at home.
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| un chat | /ʃa/ | cat |
| un chien | /ʃjɛ̃/ | dog |
| un lapin | /la.pɛ̃/ | rabbit |
| un hamster | /ɑ̃s.tɛʁ/ | hamster |
| une souris | /su.ʁi/ | mouse |
| un rat | /ʁa/ | rat |
| un cochon d’Inde | /kɔ.ʃɔ̃ dɛ̃d/ | guinea pig |
| un canari | /ka.na.ʁi/ | canary |
| un poisson rouge | /pwa.sɔ̃ ʁuʒ/ | goldfish |
| un furet | /fy.ʁɛ/ | ferret |
| une tortue | /tɔʁ.ty/ | turtle |
| un lézard | /le.zaʁ/ | lizard |
| un serpent | /sɛʁ.pɑ̃/ | snake |
Farm Animals
Animals you would typically find on a French farm.
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| un âne | /ɑn/ | donkey |
| un bélier | /be.lje/ | ram |
| un bouc | /buk/ | billy goat |
| une brebis | /bʁə.bi/ | ewe |
| un canard | /ka.naʁ/ | duck |
| un cheval | /ʃə.val/ | horse |
| une chèvre | /ʃɛvʁ/ | goat |
| un cochon | /kɔ.ʃɔ̃/ | pig |
| un coq | /kɔk/ | rooster |
| un dindon | /dɛ̃.dɔ̃/ | turkey |
| un mouton | /mu.tɔ̃/ | sheep |
| un mulet | /my.lɛ/ | mule |
| une oie | /wa/ | goose |
| un poney | /pɔ.nɛ/ | pony |
| une poule | /pul/ | hen |
| un poulet | /pu.lɛ/ | chicken |
| un taureau | /to.ʁo/ | bull |
| une truie | /tʁɥi/ | sow |
| une vache | /vaʃ/ | cow |
Wild Animals
Wild land animals, from local forest species to exotic ones.
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| un alligator | /a.li.ɡa.tɔʁ/ | alligator |
| une belette | /bə.lɛt/ | weasel |
| une biche | /biʃ/ | doe |
| un bison | /bi.zɔ̃/ | bison |
| un blaireau | /blɛ.ʁo/ | badger |
| un caméléon | /ka.me.le.ɔ̃/ | chameleon |
| un castor | /ka.stɔʁ/ | beaver |
| un cerf | /sɛʁf/ | deer |
| un chameau | /ʃa.mo/ | camel |
| un chimpanzé | /ʃɛ̃.pan.ze/ | chimpanzee |
| un crocodile | /kʁɔ.kɔ.dil/ | crocodile |
| un dromadaire | /dʁɔ.ma.dɛʁ/ | dromedary |
| un écureuil | /e.ky.ʁœj/ | squirrel |
| un éléphant | /e.le.fɑ̃/ | elephant |
| une girafe | /ʒi.ʁaf/ | giraffe |
| un gorille | /ɡɔ.ʁij/ | gorilla |
| un guépard | /ɡe.paʁ/ | cheetah |
| 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 léopard | /le.o.paʁ/ | leopard |
| un lion | /li.ɔ̃/ | lion |
| un loup | /lu/ | wolf |
| une loutre | /lu.tʁ/ | otter |
| un lynx | /lɛ̃ks/ | lynx |
| un mammouth | /ma.mu/ | mammoth |
| un orang-outan | /ɔ.ʁɑ̃.ɡu.tɑ̃/ | orangutan |
| un ornithorynque | /ɔʁ.ni.tɔ.ʁɛ̃k/ | platypus |
| un ours | /uʁs/ | bear |
| un ours polaire | /uʁs pɔ.lɛʁ/ | polar bear |
| un panda | /pɑ̃.da/ | panda |
| une panthère | /pɑ̃.tɛʁ/ | panther |
| un puma | /py.ma/ | puma |
| un renard | /ʁə.naʁ/ | fox |
| un rhinocéros | /ʁi.nɔ.se.ʁɔs/ | rhinoceros |
| un sanglier | /sɑ̃.ɡli.e/ | boar |
| un singe | /sɛ̃ʒ/ | monkey |
| un tigre | /tiɡʁ/ | tiger |
| un zèbre | /zɛbʁ/ | zebra |
Birds
Common birds, from garden visitors to birds of prey.
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| un aigle | /ɛɡl/ | eagle |
| une autruche | /o.tʁyʃ/ | ostrich |
| une chouette | /ʃwɛt/ | owl |
| une colombe | /kɔ.lɔ̃b/ | dove |
| un condor | /kɔ̃.dɔʁ/ | condor |
| un corbeau | /kɔʁ.bo/ | raven |
| un cygne | /siɲ/ | swan |
| un faucon | /fo.kɔ̃/ | falcon |
| un hibou | /i.bu/ | owl |
| un manchot | /mɑ̃.ʃo/ | penguin |
| un oiseau | /waz.o/ | bird |
| un paon | /pɑ̃/ | peacock |
| un pélican | /pe.li.kɑ̃/ | pelican |
| un perroquet | /pɛ.ʁɔ.kɛ/ | parrot |
| un pigeon | /pi.ʒɔ̃/ | pigeon |
| un pingouin | /pɛ̃.ɡwɛ̃/ | penguin |
Note: In French ‘owl’ can mean ‘une chouette’ or ‘un hibou’ — they are both birds of prey, but ‘hibou’ has small feather tufts on his head, and ‘chouette’ doesn’t.
has feather tufts
no feather tufts
Note: In French ‘penguin’ can mean ‘un manchot’ or ‘un pingouin’. ‘Manchots’ live in the Antarctic (Southern Hemisphere) and cannot fly, but they swim underwater with their wings (Emperor penguin, Humboldt penguin, Cape penguin). ‘Pingouins’ live in the Arctic (Northern Hemisphere) and can fly — they belong to the Alcidae family (auks).
Southern Hemisphere, cannot fly
Northern Hemisphere, can fly
Sea Creatures
Animals that live in the ocean and along the coast.
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| une baleine | /ba.lɛn/ | whale |
| un cachalot | /ka.ʃa.lo/ | sperm whale |
| un dauphin | /do.fɛ̃/ | dolphin |
| une méduse | /me.dy.z/ | jellyfish |
| un morse | /mɔʁs/ | walrus |
| une otarie | /ɔ.ta.ʁi/ | sea lion |
| un phoque | /fɔk/ | seal |
| un poisson | /pwa.sɔ̃/ | fish |
| un requin | /ʁə.kɛ̃/ | shark |
| une tortue de mer | /tɔʁ.ty də mɛʁ/ | sea turtle |
| une truite | /tʁɥit/ | trout |
Insects & Small Critters
Bugs, amphibians, and other small creatures.
| French Word | Phonetic Pronunciation (IPA) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| une abeille | /a.bɛj/ | bee |
| une araignée | /a.ʁɛ.ɲe/ | spider |
| une blatte | /blat/ | cockroach |
| une chauve-souris | /ʃov.su.ʁi/ | bat |
| une chenille | /ʃə.nil/ | caterpillar |
| une coccinelle | /kɔk.si.nɛl/ | ladybug |
| un crapaud | /kʁa.po/ | toad |
| un escargot | /ɛs.kaʁ.ɡo/ | snail |
| une fourmi | /fuʁ.mi/ | ant |
| une grenouille | /ɡʁə.nuj/ | frog |
| une guêpe | /ɡɛp/ | wasp |
| une libellule | /li.bɛ.lyl/ | dragonfly |
| un mille-pattes | /mil.pat/ | centipede |
| une mouche | /muʃ/ | fly |
| un moustique | /mu.stik/ | mosquito |
| un papillon | /pa.pi.jɔ̃/ | butterfly |
| un scorpion | /skɔʁ.pjɔ̃/ | scorpion |
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)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say “animals” in French?
“Animals” in French is les animaux (singular: un animal). Note the irregular plural: animal becomes animaux, not “animals”.
What are farm animals called in French?
Farm animals are les animaux de la ferme. Common examples include une vache (cow), un cheval (horse), un mouton (sheep), and une poule (hen) — see the full list in the Farm Animals section above.
Is “chat” masculine or feminine in French?
Un chat (a male or generic cat) is masculine. The feminine form is une chatte (a female cat).
What’s the difference between “un hibou” and “une chouette”?
Both mean “owl” in French, but un hibou has small feather tufts on its head, while une chouette doesn’t — see the comparison with pictures above.
What’s the difference between “un manchot” and “un pingouin”?
Both are usually translated as “penguin”, but manchots live in the Southern Hemisphere and can’t fly, while pingouins live in the Northern Hemisphere and can fly — see the comparison above.
I hope this list of animal names was useful for you, if you have any questions, please leave a comment.
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