Chinese Animal Vocabulary

In this post I will cover the Chinese names for birds, insects and animals.

The Chinese word for “animal” is 动dòng物wù (dòngwù).

Chinese Names for Birds

The Chinese word for “bird” is 鸟niǎo (niǎo):

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
Crane	鹤hè	hè
Crow	乌wū鸦yā	wūyā
Duck	鸭yā子zi	yāzi
Eagle	鹰yīng	yīng
Eurasian Siskin (Finch)	黄huáng雀què	huáng què
Goose	鹅é	é
Hawk	鹰yīng	yīng
Mandarin Duck	鸳yuān鸯yāng	yuānyāng
Oriole (Black-Naped)	黄huáng莺yīng	huángyīng
Ostrich	鸵tuó鸟niǎo	tuóniǎo
Owl	猫māo头tóu鹰yīng	māotóuyīng
Parrot	鹦yīng鹉wǔ	yīngwǔ
Peacock	孔kǒng雀què	kǒngquè
Penguin	企qǐ鹅'é	qì’é
Phoenix	凤Fèng凰huáng	fènghuáng
Pig	猪zhū	zhū
Pigeon	鸽gē子zi	gēzi
Seagull	海hǎi鸥'ōu	hǎi’ōu
Sparrow	麻má雀què	máquè
Swan	天tiān鹅'é	tiān’é
Toucan	巨jù嘴zuǐ鸟niǎo	jù zuǐ niǎo
Turtledove	斑bān鸠jiū	bānjiū

Chinese Names for Insects

The Chinese word for “bug” is 虫chóng子zi (chóngzi):

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
Ant	蚂mǎ蚁yǐ	mǎyǐ
Bee	蜜mì蜂fēng	mìfēng
Butterfly	蝴hú蝶dié	húdié
Centipede	蜈wú蚣gōng	wúgōng
Cicada	蝉chán	chán
Cockroach	蟑zhāng螂láng	zhāngláng
Cricket	蟋xī蟀shuài	xīshuài
Dragofly	蜻qīng蜓tíng	qīngtíng
Fly	苍cāng蝇ying / 飞fēi虫chóng	cāngyíng / fēi chóng
Ladybird	雌cí鸟niǎo	cí niǎo
Locust	蝗huáng虫chóng	huángchóng
Mosquito	蚊wén子zi	wénzi
Praying Mantis	螳táng螂láng	tángláng

Chinese Names for Farm Animals

The Chinese word for “farm animal” is 农nóng场chǎng动dòng物wù (nóngchǎng dòngwù). This can be broken down into the words for “farm” 农nóng场chǎng (nóngchǎng) and “animal” 动dòng物wù (dòngwù).

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
Chick (Baby Chicken)	小xiǎo鸡jī	xiǎo jī
Chicken	鸡jī肉ròu	jīròu
Donkey	驴lǘ	lǘ
Cow / Ox	牛niú	niú
Sheep	绵mián羊yáng	miányáng

Chinese Names for Wild Animals

The Chinese word for “wild animal” is 野yě生shēng动dòng物wù (yěshēng dòngwù) and can be broken down in to the words “wild” 野yě生shēng (yěshēng) and “animal” 动dòng物wù (dòngwù).

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
Bear	熊xióng	xióng
Camel	骆luò驼tuo	luòtuó
Cat	猫māo	māo
Chimpanzee	黑hēi猩xīng猩xing	hēixīngxīng
Crocodile	鳄è鱼yú	èyú
Deer	鹿lù	lù
Dog	狗gǒu	gǒu
Elephant	大dà象xiàng	dà xiàng
Fox	狐hú狸li	húlí
Frog	青qīng蛙wā	qīngwā
Giraffe	长cháng颈jǐng鹿lù	chángjǐnglù
Hedgehog	刺cì猬wei	cìwèi
Hippopotamus	河hé马mǎ	hémǎ
Horse	马mǎ	mǎ
Kangaroo	袋dài鼠shǔ	dàishǔ
Leopard	豹bào	bào
Lion	狮Shī子zǐ	shīzi
Lizard	蜥xī蜴yì	xīyì
Monkey	猴hóu子zi	hóuzi
Mouse	老lǎo鼠shǔ / 小xiǎo鼠shǔ	lǎoshǔ / xiǎo shǔ
Panda	熊xióng猫māo	xióngmāo
Rabbit	兔tù子zi	tùzǐ
Rat	老lǎo鼠shǔ / 大dà叔shū	lǎoshǔ (dàshū)
Rhinoceros	犀xī牛niú	xīniú
Snake	蛇shé	shé
Squirrel	松sōng鼠shǔ	sōngshǔ
Tiger	老lǎo虎hǔ	lǎohǔ
Tortoise	乌wū龟guī	wūguī
Weasel	黄huáng鼠shǔ狼láng	huángshǔláng
Wolf	狼láng	láng
Zebra	斑bān马mǎ	bānmǎ