Japanese Animal Name – Doubutsu

In this article, we are going to learn the names of animals in Japanese. Animals in Japanese are called Doubutsu [動物]. Below we will present a huge table with animals, insects, birds and fish, for you to study and increase your vocabulary and knowledge.

Notice that most animals are written using katakana (when their name derives from another language). Some animals can be written using either hiragana, katakana, or kanji. Therefore, the table below will present both writings, but that using a certain writing will depend on the occasion.

We recommend reading: The good relationship of the Japanese with their pets

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Animal names in Japanese

Rōmaji	Portuguese	Kanji	Hiragana	Katakana	English
Animal	Animal	Animal	animals	Animal	animal
Tori	Bird	bird	bird	Bird	bird
Sakana	Fish	fish	fish	Sakana	fish
Kai	Shellfish/Crustacean	Shell	kai	カイ	shellfish
bug	Inseto translates to "insect" in English.	Insect	mushi	Mushi	insect
Hedgehog	Hedgehog	Hedgehog		Hedgehog
Kachiku	Meat	Livestock	livestock	Kachiku
Niwatori	Chicken	chicken	chicken	chicken	chicken
Chick	Chick	Hina	chick	chick	chick
neko	Cat	猫	ねこ	Cat	cat
nezumi	Mouse	Mouse	mouse	mouse	rat / mouse
stuff	Donkey	donkey	donkey	Donkey	donkey
pig	Pig	Pig	pig	Pig	pig
one	Horse	馬	うま	Horse	horse
chicken	Chicken	chicken	chicken	chicken	chicken
gachou	Ganso	goose	goose	Goose	goose
kamo	wild duck	Duck	Perhaps	Duck	wild duck
duck	Duck	domestic duck	duck	Duck	pato doméstico
sheep	Sheep	sheep	sheep	sheep	sheep
ushi	Cow	Cow	cow	Cow	cow
hamusutaa	Hamster	--	--	hamster	hamster
dog	Dog	Dog	dog	Dog	dog
deer	Deer	Deer	However	Deer	deer
rabbit	Coelho	Rabbit	rabbit	Rabbit	rabbit
kirin	Giraffe	Qilin	giraffe	Kirin	giraffe
camel	Camel	Camel	camel	Camel	camel
kobu	Dromedary	Lump	kobu	Kobu	hump
zoo	Elephant	Elephant	zoo	ゾウ	elephant
panda	Panda	--	--	Panda	panda
kangaroo	Kangaroo	--	--	Kangaroo	kangaroo
hyou	leopard / panther	leopard	hyou	ヒョウ	leopardo / pantera
kitsune	Fox	fox	fox	Fox	fox
rayon / shishi	Lion	獅子	-- / lion	lion	lion
tora	Tiger	Tiger	tiger	Tiger	tiger
crocodile	crocodile / alligator	Alligator	crocodile	Crocodile	crocodilo / jacaré
hippo	Hippopotamus	hippopotamus	hippo	Hippopotamus	hippopotamus
bear	Bear	Bear	bear	Bear	bear
wolf	Wolf	wolf	wolf	Wolf	wolf
monkey	Monkey	Monkey	monkey	Monkey	monkey
raccoon dog	Raccoon	raccoon	raccoon	Raccoon	raccoon dog
gorilla	Gorilla	--	--	gorilla	gorilla
zebra	Zebra	zebra	zebra	Zebra	zebra
dachou	Ostrich	ostrich	ostrich	Ostrich	ostrich
wild boar	Wild Boar	Pig	wild boar	Wild boar	boar
"saint"	Rhinoceros	Rhinoceros	Sai	サイ	rhino
tsuno	Horn	Corner	horn	Horn	horn
hebi	snake / serpent	snake	snake	Snake	snake
kamereon	Chameleon	--	--	chameleon	chameleon
yamori	Lizard	－－	gecko	gecko	gecko
slug	Snail	snail	snail	snail	snail
tokage	Lizard	Lizard	lizard	Lizard	lizard
kame	Turtle	Turtle	turtle	Turtle	tortoise / turtle
koura	Shell	Shell	kōra	Koura	shell
bat	Bat	bat	bat	bat	bat
chimpanzee	Chimpanzee	--	--	Chimpanzee	chimpanzé
koara	Coala	--	--	Koala	koala
chiitaa	Cheetah / Leopard	--	--	Cheetah	cheetah
shirokuma	Polar Bear	polar bear	white bear	polar bear	polar bear
Arikui	Tamandua	Ant-eating	anteater	ant-eater	anteater
kamenosuke	Platypus	Duckbill	platypus	platypus	platypus
raccoon	Raccoon	raccoon	raccoon	Raccoon	raccoon
```plaintext porcupine ```	Porcupine	porcupine	porcupine	Porcupine	porcupine
chinchira	Chinchilla	--	--	Chinchilla	chinchilla
squirrel	Squirrel	Squirrel	squirrel	Squirrel	squirrel
goat	Goat	goat	goat	Goat	goat
Karasu	Raven	Crow	--	crow	Crow
Suzume	Sparrow	sparrow	sparrow	Recommendation	sparrow
Hachi	Bee	Bee	hachi	ハチ	bee
Ika	Lula	The input "魷" is a Chinese character meaning "squid." However, since there is no specific context provided in your request for translation, I will keep it as is. Here is the output: 魷	Ika	Squid	squid
Tako	Octopus	octopus	octopus	Octopus	octopus
Ari	Ant	Ant	Okay	Ant	ant
Koi	Tent	carp	The translation of "こい" is "come."	Koi	carp
Kujira	Whale	whale	whale	Whale	whale
Swan	Swan	swan	swan	Swan	swan
Kumo	Spider	Spider	cloud	Spider	spider
Same	Shark	Shark	The string is in Japanese, which means it should remain unchanged. Thus, the output is: さ	Shark	shark
Yagi	Goat	goat	goat	Goat	goat
Washi	Eagle	Eagle	I am unable to translate "わし" as it is a Japanese pronoun meaning "I" or "me" used by men in informal settings, and does not have a direct English equivalent. It is a personal term that conveys a certain nuance in speech.	I cannot translate that as it is already in Japanese. However, "ワシ" (washi) refers to "I" or "me" in a colloquial or masculine way, particularly used in some regions of Japan. If you need further assistance, feel free to ask!	eagle
Koinu	Puppy	puppy	puppy	puppy	puppy
Ram	Sheep	Aries	Aries	The translated text is: "Ohitsuji"	sheep
Meuma	Mare	mare	meuma	Meuma	sea
Kouma	Foal	colt	Kouma	Ko-ma	foal
Herajika	Moose	This term "箆鹿" appears to be a combination of characters that don't have a straightforward translation in English. If you need this contextually translated or explained further, please provide more information. Otherwise, the term can be read as is: "箆鹿".	herajika	moose	moose
Baffaroo	Bison	--	buffalo	Buffalo	bison
Biba	Castor	--	I cannot translate this as it is already in Japanese. Please provide a string in Portuguese for translation.	Viva	beaver
Itachi	Weasel	Weasel	weasel	Weasel	weasel
Ashika	Seal	sea lion	seal	sea lion	seal
Iruka	Dolphin	dolphin	dolphin	dolphin	dolphin
Frog	Frog	frog	frog	Kaefu	frog
Gama	Frog	Toad	gama	Fly	toad
Sanshouuo	Salamander	salamander	saury	Salamander	salamander
Fugu	Pufferfish	fugu	pufferfish	Pufferfish	puffer
Chou	Butterfly	Butterfly	Chou	チョウ	butterfly
Mantis	Praying Mantis	mantis	mantis	Mantis	soothsayer
Ka	Mosquito	mosquito	The string "か" does not require translation as it is a Japanese particle that usually indicates a question. It remains unchanged in the translation.	カ	fly
Kouchuu	Beetle	beetle	koujou	Kōchū	beetle
Inago	Grasshopper	Locust	inago	Inago	grasshopper
Raccoon	Guaxinin	Wild Bear	a rare horse	Raccoon	Guaxinin
Hotaru	Firefly	firefly	firefly	Firefly	Firefly
Hae	Fly	fly	fly	Fly	fly
senzankou	pangolin (armadillo ball)	Pangolin	senzenkou	Pangolin	pangolin

Body Parts of Animals and Japanese

Below we will provide a list of animal body parts in Japanese, but we will exclude parts that also exist in humans. If you want to see those parts as well, we recommend reading our article on: Partes do Corpo humano em Japonês – Jintai

Here is a list of animal body parts in Japanese:

• 鰭 (hire) - fin
• 角 (tsuno) - horn
• Poison needle (dokubari) - stinger
• Sharp claws (surudoi tsume) - sharp claws
• 羽ばたき筋 (habatakikin) - wings muscles
• 咬筋 (koukin) - biting muscles
• しっぽ (shippo) - tail
• Hoof (higai) - hoof
• トゲ (toge) - thorn
• Naruto (meimon) - snout
• Membrane (himaku) - membrane
• ヒレ (hire) - fin
• ヒゲ (hige) - mustache
• Chili pepper (tongarashi) - spine (in birds)
• ツノ (tsuno) - protuberance (in some animals)
• Tail fin (obi-re) - caudal fin
• Toe (yubi) - toes (in animals with feet or paws)
• Spinal cord (sekizui) - spinal cord.
• Fingernail (tsume) - claw
• Nail pad (nikukyuu) - paw pad
• 鉤爪 (kagizume) - curved claw
• Hagoromo (羽織) - feather
• 鳥尾 (torio) - bird tail
• Tail (o) - tail
• Jaw (ago) - jaw
• 鋏角 (hasami tsuno) - pliers (like those of a crab)
• Shokushu (触手) - tentacle
• Wings (tsubasa) - morning
• 爪先 (tsumasaki) - tip of the claw/paw
• Flapping (habatakia) - to flap wings
• 指 (yubi) - toe finger
• Skeleton (kokkaku) - bony structure
• しっぽ (shippo) - tail
• Forelimbs (zenchi) - anterior limbs (arms or front legs)
• Hind limbs (kouchi) - hind limbs (legs or rear paws)
• Canine (kenshi) - canine.

Types of Animals in Japanese

Finally, we are going to leave more words related to animals, this time we are going to leave types of animals, categories and taxonomics in Japanese.

• 哺乳類 (honyuurui) - Mammals
• Birds - aves
• Reptiles - répteis
• 魚類 (gyorui) - fish
• Insects - insects
• Amphibians - anfíbios
• Invertebrates (musseki-chuudoubutsu) - invertebrates
• Soft-bodied animals (nantai-doubutsu) - mollusks
• Freshwater organisms (tansui-seibutsu) - freshwater life
• Marine organisms (kaiyou-seibutsu) - marine life
• Hordes of reptiles and amphibians - amphibians and reptiles
• 哺乳動物 (honyuu-doubutsu) - mammals
• Birds and animals - aves e animais
• Furred animals (yumou-doubutsu) - animals with fur
• 羽虫 (hamushi) - winged insects
• 甲殻類 (koukaku-rui) - crustaceans
• 細菌 (saikin) - bacteria
• Fungi - fungi
• Arthropods - artrópodes
• Invertebrates - invertebrates without a backbone
• Canidae (kenka) - canids
• Felidae (nekoka) - felids
• Felidae (hyouka) - panthers
• Bear family - ursos
• Fox family (kitsuneka) - foxes
• Peacock Family (kujakuka) - peacocks
• ウシ科 (ushika) - bovines

As an extra I'll leave below a video of a friend who was inspired by this article: