- Cat ねこ, dog いぬ, bird とり, fish さかな.
- Japanese dogs say わんわん, cats にゃー, pigs ぶーぶー.
- Small animals are counted with ひき (匹): いっぴき, にひき, さんびき.
- For animals, there is / I have uses います, not あります.
Pets and farm animals
- ねこnekocat
- いぬinudog
- とりtoribird
- さかなsakanafish
- うさぎusagirabbit
- ハムスターhamusutāhamster
- うまumahorse
- うしushicow
- ぶたbutapig
- にわとりniwatorichicken
Wild animals
- くまkumabear
- さるsarumonkey
- しかshikadeerFamous in Nara Park.
- きつねkitsunefox
- たぬきtanukiraccoon dog
- ねずみnezumimouse, rat
- へびhebisnake
- かめkameturtle
- ライオンraionlion
- パンダpandapanda
What animals say in Japanese
- わんわんwan wanwoof woof (dog)
- にゃーにゃーnyā nyāmeow (cat)
- もーもーmō mōmoo (cow)
- ぶーぶーbū būoink (pig)
- こけこっこーkokekokkōcock-a-doodle-doo
- ちゅーちゅーchū chūsqueak (mouse)
- げろげろgero geroribbit (frog)
Japanese is full of sound words like these. Discover more in Japanese onomatopoeia.
Animals in Japanese culture
- きつね (fox): messengers of Inari, the deity of rice; fox statues guard Inari shrines like Fushimi Inari in Kyoto.
- たぬき: a real animal and a folklore trickster; tanuki statues with straw hats stand outside many restaurants.
- まねきねこ (beckoning cat): the waving cat figure in shops, believed to invite customers and good fortune.
- しか: the deer of Nara Park bow for special crackers sold to visitors.
Talking about pets
- ねこがにひきいますneko ga nihiki imasuI have two cats.
- いぬをかっていますinu o katte imasuI have (keep) a dog.
- ペットはいますかpetto wa imasu kaDo you have any pets?
| Number | Counter 〜ひき |
|---|---|
| 1 | いっぴき ippiki |
| 2 | にひき nihiki |
| 3 | さんびき sanbiki |
| 4 | よんひき yonhiki |
| 5 | ごひき gohiki |
| 6 | ろっぴき roppiki |
Larger animals like horses and cows use the counter とう (頭): いっとう, にとう. Birds traditionally use わ (羽). More in Japanese counters.
The Japanese zodiac animals
Japan uses the twelve-year East Asian zodiac (えと). Each year has an animal, and they appear everywhere around New Year:
| Zodiac | Reading | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| 子 | ね | rat |
| 丑 | うし | ox |
| 寅 | とら | tiger |
| 卯 | う | rabbit |
| 辰 | たつ | dragon |
| 巳 | み | snake |
| 午 | うま | horse |
| 未 | ひつじ | sheep |
| 申 | さる | monkey |
| 酉 | とり | rooster |
| 戌 | いぬ | dog |
| 亥 | い | boar |
Note that the zodiac uses special kanji and readings, different from the everyday animal words. 2026 is the year of the horse.
Animal idioms
| Idiom | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ねこのてもかりたい | want to borrow even a cat’s paws | extremely busy |
| さるもきからおちる | even monkeys fall from trees | anyone can make mistakes |
| ねこじた | cat tongue | can’t handle hot food |
| いぬとさる | dogs and monkeys | people who don’t get along |
Phrases for pet lovers
- さわってもいいですかsawatte mo ii desu kaMay I pet it?
- なまえはなんですかnamae wa nan desu kaWhat’s its name?
- なんさいですかnansai desu kaHow old is it?
- ねこカフェにいきたいですneko kafe ni ikitai desuI want to go to a cat café.
What does a Japanese dog say?
“I have one cat.”
きつね is a:
Frequently asked questions
How do you say cat and dog in Japanese?
Cat is 猫 (neko) and dog is 犬 (inu).
What do animals say in Japanese?
Dogs say わんわん (wan wan), cats にゃー (nyā), cows もー (mō), pigs ぶーぶー (bū bū) and roosters こけこっこー (kokekokkō).
How do you count animals in Japanese?
Small animals use the counter 匹 (hiki): いっぴき, にひき, さんびき. Large animals use 頭 (tō), and birds traditionally use 羽 (wa).
What does nekojita mean?
猫舌 (nekojita), literally "cat tongue", describes someone who can't eat or drink very hot food.