Animals in Chinese: Essential Words, Phrases, and Examples

Key takeaways

• Chinese animal vocabulary spans farm animals, wildlife, pets, birds, sea creatures, and insects, and learning groups together with their measure words makes them much easier to retain.
• The most common animal measure word is 只 (zhī, general animal classifier), used for birds, cats, dogs, and most small animals. Large livestock use 头 (tóu, head), fish and snakes use 条 (tiáo, strip), and horses use 匹 (pǐ). A dedicated guide to measure words can deepen your understanding of how these work.
• Tones matter with animal words: 马 (mǎ, horse) uses the third tone, while the similar-sounding 骂 (mà, to scold) uses the fourth. Mispronouncing animal names can cause genuine confusion.
• All 12 Chinese zodiac animals have their own vocabulary in Mandarin, and knowing them opens natural conversations about culture, personality, and the lunar calendar.

Animal vocabulary is some of the most versatile in any language. It comes up in everyday conversation, in Chinese idioms, in descriptions of food and nature, and throughout Chinese cultural traditions. italki connects learners with Chinese tutors who can help you practice animal vocabulary in real sentences and explain the cultural context behind it.

This guide covers farm animals, wild animals, pets, sea creatures, birds, insects, measure words for animals, the 12 zodiac animals, and useful phrases for talking about animals in Chinese.

Find a Mandarin tutor online to practice animal vocabulary in conversation and build the kind of instinctive recall that reading alone does not give you.

Farm animals

Farm animals are among the first vocabulary sets Chinese learners encounter because they appear in children’s content, food menus, and everyday descriptions of rural life.

汉字	Pinyin	English
牛	niú	cow / ox
猪	zhū	pig
羊	yáng	sheep / goat
马	mǎ	horse
鸡	jī	chicken
鸭	yā	duck
鹅	é	goose
驴	lǘ	donkey
狗	gǒu	dog
猫	māo	cat
兔子	tùzi	rabbit
山羊	shānyáng	goat
绵羊	miányáng	sheep

Note that 羊 (yáng) can refer to both sheep and goat depending on context. When you need to be specific, 山羊 (shānyáng, mountain goat) refers to goats and 绵羊 (miányáng, fluffy sheep) refers to sheep.

Wild animals

汉字	Pinyin	English
老虎	lǎohǔ	tiger
狮子	shīzi	lion
大象	dàxiàng	elephant
熊猫	xióngmāo	panda
熊	xióng	bear
猴子	hóuzi	monkey
长颈鹿	chángjǐnglù	giraffe
斑马	bānmǎ	zebra
狼	láng	wolf
狐狸	húli	fox
鹿	lù	deer
豹	bào	leopard
河马	hémǎ	hippopotamus
犀牛	xīniú	rhinoceros
猩猩	xīngxīng	gorilla / ape
袋鼠	dàishǔ	kangaroo
北极熊	běijí xióng	polar bear

The panda, 熊猫 (xióngmāo, literally bear cat), holds a special place in Chinese culture and is one of the most recognized Chinese symbols internationally. Note that the characters literally say bear cat, even though it is classified as a bear.

Pets and domestic animals

汉字	Pinyin	English
猫	māo	cat
狗	gǒu	dog
鱼	yú	fish
鸟	niǎo	bird
兔子	tùzi	rabbit
仓鼠	cāngshǔ	hamster
乌龟	wūguī	turtle / tortoise
鹦鹉	yīngwǔ	parrot
蜥蜴	xīyì	lizard
豚鼠	túnshǔ	guinea pig

A common sentence pattern for talking about pets: 我有一只猫 (Wǒ yǒu yī zhī māo, I have one cat) or 我家有两条鱼 (Wǒ jiā yǒu liǎng tiáo yú, My household has two fish).

Sea creatures

汉字	Pinyin	English
鱼	yú	fish
鲨鱼	shāyú	shark
鲸鱼	jīngyú	whale
海豚	hǎitún	dolphin
螃蟹	pángxiè	crab
虾	xiā	shrimp / prawn
章鱼	zhāngyú	octopus
鱿鱼	yóuyú	squid
海龟	hǎiguī	sea turtle
海星	hǎixīng	starfish
水母	shuǐmǔ	jellyfish
龙虾	lóngxiā	lobster
牡蛎	mǔlì	oyster
贝壳	bèiké	shell / shellfish

Many seafood names end in 鱼 (yú, fish), even when the creature is not strictly a fish: 鲨鱼 (shāyú, shark) and 鲸鱼 (jīngyú, whale) both follow this pattern. 章鱼 (zhāngyú, octopus) literally means chapter fish, an older descriptive name that stuck.

Birds

汉字	Pinyin	English
鸟	niǎo	bird (general)
鸡	jī	chicken
鸭	yā	duck
鹅	é	goose
鸽子	gēzi	pigeon / dove
老鹰	lǎoyīng	eagle
猫头鹰	māotóuyīng	owl
鹦鹉	yīngwǔ	parrot
燕子	yànzi	swallow
孔雀	kǒngquè	peacock
企鹅	qǐ’é	penguin
乌鸦	wūyā	crow
麻雀	máquè	sparrow
天鹅	tiān’é	swan

猫头鹰 (māotóuyīng, owl) literally translates as cat head eagle, a vivid description of the owl’s flat face and forward-facing eyes. 企鹅 (qǐ’é, penguin) means standing goose.

Insects and small creatures

汉字	Pinyin	English
蝴蝶	húdié	butterfly
蜜蜂	mìfēng	bee
蚂蚁	mǎyǐ	ant
蚊子	wénzi	mosquito
蟑螂	zhāngláng	cockroach
蜘蛛	zhīzhū	spider
蜻蜓	qīngtíng	dragonfly
萤火虫	yínghuǒchóng	firefly
蚯蚓	qiūyǐn	earthworm
毛毛虫	máomáochóng	caterpillar
蝉	chán	cicada
螳螂	tánglang	praying mantis
瓢虫	piáochóng	ladybug

萤火虫 (yínghuǒchóng, firefly) literally means glowing fire insect. 蜻蜓 (qīngtíng, dragonfly) is one of the most beloved insects in Chinese culture and appears frequently in traditional poetry and painting.

Measure words for animals

Chinese requires a measure word (量词 liàngcí, classifier) between a number and a noun. For animals, the measure word depends on the type of animal. The guide to Chinese measure words covers the full classifier system, but the animal-specific ones below are essential.

Measure word	Pinyin	Used for	Example
只	zhī	birds, most small animals, cats, dogs	两只猫 (liǎng zhī māo, two cats)
头	tóu	large livestock (cows, pigs, elephants)	三头牛 (sān tóu niú, three cows)
条	tiáo	fish, snakes, dogs (also accepted)	一条鱼 (yī tiáo yú, one fish)
匹	pǐ	horses	两匹马 (liǎng pǐ mǎ, two horses)
群	qún	groups/flocks of animals	一群羊 (yī qún yáng, a flock of sheep)

When in doubt, 只 (zhī) works as a safe default for most animals and will be understood even if not perfectly precise.

The 12 Chinese zodiac animals

The Chinese zodiac (生肖 shēngxiào, birth sign/zodiac) cycles through 12 animals in a fixed order. Each year corresponds to one animal, and people born in that year are said to share characteristics associated with it.

汉字	Pinyin	English	Personality associations
鼠	shǔ	rat	clever, adaptable
牛	niú	ox	hardworking, dependable
虎	hǔ	tiger	brave, confident
兔	tù	rabbit	gentle, calm
龙	lóng	dragon	ambitious, lucky
蛇	shé	snake	wise, intuitive
马	mǎ	horse	energetic, free-spirited
羊	yáng	sheep / goat	creative, gentle
猴	hóu	monkey	clever, curious
鸡	jī	rooster	observant, hardworking
狗	gǒu	dog	loyal, honest
猪	zhū	pig	generous, kind

The dragon (龙 lóng) is the only mythical animal in the zodiac and holds a uniquely auspicious position in Chinese culture. Years of the Dragon see a notable uptick in births in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

Useful phrases for talking about animals

Chinese	Pinyin	English
这是什么动物？	Zhè shì shénme dòngwù?	What animal is this?
我喜欢猫。	Wǒ xǐhuān māo.	I like cats.
你有宠物吗？	Nǐ yǒu chǒngwù ma?	Do you have pets?
我有一只狗。	Wǒ yǒu yī zhī gǒu.	I have one dog.
那只动物叫什么？	Nà zhī dòngwù jiào shénme?	What is that animal called?
动物园里有很多动物。	Dòngwùyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō dòngwù.	There are many animals in the zoo.
这只猫很可爱。	Zhè zhī māo hěn kě’ài.	This cat is very cute.
我怕狗。	Wǒ pà gǒu.	I’m afraid of dogs.
你属什么？	Nǐ shǔ shénme?	What is your zodiac sign?
我属龙。	Wǒ shǔ lóng.	My zodiac sign is the dragon.

The question 你属什么？(Nǐ shǔ shénme?, What is your zodiac sign?) is one of the most natural ways to start a conversation about age and birth year with a Chinese speaker. Knowing your zodiac animal in Chinese gives you an immediate cultural connection point.

For counting animals with the correct measure words, the guide to Chinese numbers covers the number system you will combine with these classifiers.

Practice talking about animals with a tutor

Vocabulary lists build recognition, but conversation practice builds the ability to use words instinctively. A Chinese tutor can help you use animal vocabulary in natural sentences, correct your tones on words like 马 (mǎ, horse) vs 骂 (mà, to scold), and introduce the animal idioms that appear constantly in everyday Chinese.

italki’s 30,000+ expert tutors include native Mandarin speakers who can build animal vocabulary lessons around your interests, whether that is Chinese wildlife, food vocabulary, or the zodiac. Trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, the platform lets you find a tutor who matches your level and pace. Book a trial lesson and bring today’s vocabulary list as the starting point.

FAQ

What is the Chinese word for animal?

The general word for animal is 动物 (dòngwù). 宠物 (chǒngwù) specifically means pet. 野生动物 (yěshēng dòngwù) means wild animals, and 家畜 (jiāchù) refers to livestock or domestic animals raised for farming.

What measure word do you use for animals in Chinese?

The most versatile animal measure word is 只 (zhī), which works for birds, cats, dogs, rabbits, and most small animals. Large livestock like cows and pigs use 头 (tóu). Fish and snakes use 条 (tiáo). Horses use 匹 (pǐ). When unsure, 只 (zhī) is a safe default.

How do you say I have a pet in Chinese?

The standard sentence is 我有一只宠物 (Wǒ yǒu yī zhī chǒngwù, I have one pet). For a specific animal: 我有一只猫 (Wǒ yǒu yī zhī māo, I have one cat) or 我有两条鱼 (Wǒ yǒu liǎng tiáo yú, I have two fish).

What is the Chinese zodiac?

The Chinese zodiac (生肖 shēngxiào) is a 12-year cycle in which each year is associated with an animal. The animals in order are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. People born in a given year are said to share traits with that year’s animal.

Are animal names in Chinese connected to the food name?

Often yes. 鸡 (jī) means both chicken (the animal) and chicken (the food). 猪 (zhū) means pig, and 猪肉 (zhūròu, pig + meat) means pork. Adding 肉 (ròu, meat) after the animal name usually gives you the food term: 牛肉 (niúròu, beef), 羊肉 (yángròu, lamb/mutton), 鸭肉 (yāròu, duck meat).