Here are Japanese words for animals to start with: 鳥 (tori, bird), 猫 (neko, cat), 牛 (ushi, cow), 犬 (inu, dog). Below are 96 words (A1–C1) with their English translations, part of speech and a romanization to help you say them, across 12 themed lists.
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| bird | 鳥tori | noun | A1 |
| cat | 猫neko | noun | A1 |
| cow | 牛ushi | noun | A1 |
| dog | 犬inu | noun | A1 |
| fish | 魚sakana | noun | A1 |
| horse | 馬uma | noun | A1 |
| mouse | ネズミnezumi | noun | A1 |
| squirrel | リスrisu | noun | A1 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| animal | 動物doubutsu | noun | A1 |
| chicken | 鶏niwatori | noun | A1 |
| frog | カエルkaeru | noun | A1 |
| pig | 豚buta | noun | A1 |
| turkey | 七面鳥shichimenchou | noun | A1 |
| creature | 生き物ikimono | noun | A2 |
| feather | 羽hane | noun | A2 |
| harvest | 収穫shuukaku | noun | A2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| endangered | 絶滅危惧のzetsumetsu kigu no | adj | A2 |
| conservation | 保全hozen | noun | B1 |
| ecosystem | 生態系seitaikei | noun | B1 |
| extinction | 絶滅zetsumetsu | noun | B1 |
| habitat | 生息地seisokuchi | noun | B1 |
| reef | サンゴ礁sangoshou | noun | B1 |
| firefly | ホタルhotaru | noun | B2 |
| gull | カモメkamome | noun | B2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| snake | 蛇hebi | noun | A1 |
| alligator | アリゲーターarigeetaa | noun | B1 |
| chameleon | カメレオンkamereon | noun | B1 |
| cobra | コブラkobura | noun | B1 |
| gecko | ヤモリyamori | noun | B1 |
| iguana | イグアナiguana | noun | B1 |
| python | ニシキヘビnishikihebi | noun | B1 |
| toad | ヒキガエルhikigaeru | noun | B1 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| fungus | 真菌shinkin | noun | B1 |
| parasite | 寄生虫kiseichuu | noun | B1 |
| algae | 藻類sourui | noun | B2 |
| microbe | 微生物biseibutsu | noun | B2 |
| mold | カビkabi | noun | B2 |
| pathogen | 病原体byougentai | noun | B2 |
| toxin | 毒素dokuso | noun | B2 |
| yeast | 酵母koubo | noun | B2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| chimpanzee | チンパンジーchinpanjii | noun | A2 |
| baboon | ヒヒhihi | noun | B1 |
| badger | アナグマanaguma | noun | B1 |
| gorilla | ゴリラgorira | noun | B1 |
| hedgehog | ハリネズミharinezumi | noun | B1 |
| mole | モグラmogura | noun | B1 |
| orangutan | オランウータンoran'uutan | noun | B1 |
| reindeer | トナカイtonakai | noun | B1 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| oyster | カキkaki | noun | B1 |
| shrimp | エビebi | noun | B1 |
| cuttlefish | コウイカkouika | noun | B2 |
| mussel | ムール貝muurugai | noun | B2 |
| prawn | クルマエビkurumaebi | noun | B2 |
| sea lion | アシカashika | noun | B2 |
| sea urchin | ウニuni | noun | B2 |
| walrus | セイウチseiuchi | noun | B2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| robin | コマドリkomadori | noun | A2 |
| goose | ガチョウgachou | noun | B1 |
| hawk | 鷹taka | noun | B1 |
| ostrich | ダチョウdachou | noun | B1 |
| pelican | ペリカンperikan | noun | B1 |
| raven | ワタリガラスwatarigarasu | noun | B1 |
| toucan | オオハシoohashi | noun | B1 |
| woodpecker | キツツキkitsutsuki | noun | B1 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| flea | ノミnomi | noun | A2 |
| shelter | 動物保護施設doubutsu hogoshisetsu | noun | B1 |
| tick | マダニmadani | noun | B1 |
| treats | おやつoyatsu | noun | B1 |
| vet | 獣医juui | noun | B1 |
| leash | リードriido | noun | B2 |
| neuter | 去勢するkyosei suru | verb | B2 |
| spay | 避妊手術hininshujutsu | verb | B2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| cockroach | ゴキブリgokiburi | noun | B1 |
| aphid | アブラムシaburamushi | noun | B2 |
| larva | 幼虫youchuu | noun | B2 |
| locust | イナゴinago | noun | B2 |
| mantis | カマキリkamakiri | noun | B2 |
| pollinator | 花粉媒介者kafunbaikaisha | noun | B2 |
| pupa | 蛹sanagi | noun | B2 |
| termite | シロアリshiroari | noun | B2 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| ray | エイei | noun | A2 |
| deep sea | 深海shinkai | noun | B1 |
| skate | ガンギエイgangiei | noun | B1 |
| abyss | 深淵shin'en | noun | B2 |
| anglerfish | チョウチンアンコウchouchin'ankou | noun | B2 |
| giant squid | ダイオウイカdaiouika | noun | B2 |
| sea cucumber | ナマコnamako | noun | B2 |
| hydrothermal vent | 熱水噴出孔nessuifunshutsukou | noun | C1 |
| English | Japanese | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| camouflage | 保護色hogoshoku | noun | B1 |
| hibernation | 冬眠toumin | noun | B1 |
| foraging | 採餌saiji | noun | B2 |
| herding | 群れ行動murekoudou | noun | B2 |
| mimicry | 擬態gitai | noun | B2 |
| predation | 捕食hoshoku | noun | B2 |
| scavenging | 腐肉食funikushoku | noun | B2 |
| territoriality | 縄張り行動nawabarikoudou | noun | B2 |
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Watch Your LanguageVocabulary widgets for iPhone & Apple Watch
These lists show a sample of the A1–C1 words for animals. The packs in Watch Your Language hold more and reach the advanced levels, along with every other topic.
The app shows them to you a few at a time, in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting.
You could start with words like 鳥 (tori, bird), 猫 (neko, cat), 牛 (ushi, cow), 犬 (inu, dog). This page lists 96 Japanese words for animals (A1–C1), each with its English translation and part of speech.
Reading a list once is rarely enough. Watch Your Language shows Japanese words like these in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and schedules repeats so the words you keep forgetting come back more often.
Yes. The lists on this page are free to read, with no sign-up. The app holds more words for each topic.