Animals in Arabic for Kids
Animals are often a child's first Arabic words after mama and baba: they are fun to say, easy to point at in a picture book and come with a sound to copy.
The names below are grouped the way children meet animals — on the farm, at home, in the zoo, in the sky and in the sea. Start with the animals your child already loves.
Farm animals
- بقرةcow · baqara
- حصانhorse · hisaan
- خروفsheep · kharuuf
- ماعزgoat · maa'iz
- دجاجةhen · dajaaja
- ديكrooster · diik
- بطةduck · batta
- حمارdonkey · himaar
- جملcamel · jamal
- أرنبrabbit · arnab
Animals at home
- قطةcat · qitta
- كلبdog · kalb
- سمكةfish · samaka
- عصفورsparrow · 'usfuur
- ببغاءparrot · babbaghaa'
- سلحفاةtortoise · sulahfaa
- فأرmouse · fa'r
Wild animals
- أسدlion · asad
- نمرtiger · namir
- فيلelephant · fiil
- زرافةgiraffe · zaraafa
- قردmonkey · qird
- دبbear · dubb
- ذئبwolf · dhi'b
- ثعلبfox · tha'lab
- غزالgazelle · ghazaal
- حمار وحشيzebra · himaar wahshi
- فرس النهرhippo · faras an-nahr
- تمساحcrocodile · timsaah
- ثعبانsnake · thu'baan
- كنغرkangaroo · kanghar
Birds and insects
- نسرeagle · nasr
- بومةowl · buuma
- بطريقpenguin · batriiq
- حمامةdove · hamaama
- نحلةbee · nahla
- فراشةbutterfly · faraasha
- نملةant · namla
- دعسوقةladybird · du'suuqa
Sea animals
- حوتwhale · huut
- دلفينdolphin · dulfiin
- أخطبوطoctopus · ukhtubuut
- سلطعونcrab · sulta'uun
- قرشshark · qirsh
What does it say? Animal sounds
- الأسد يزأرthe lion roars · al-asad yaz'ar
- الكلب ينبحthe dog barks · al-kalb yanbah
- القطة تموءthe cat meows · al-qitta tamuu'
- البقرة تخورthe cow moos · al-baqara takhuur
- الحصان يصهلthe horse neighs · al-hisaan yas-hal
- الديك يصيحthe rooster crows · ad-diik yasiih
- الحمار ينهقthe donkey brays · al-himaar yanhaq
- الذئب يعويthe wolf howls · adh-dhi'b ya'wi
- العصفور يغرّدthe bird sings · al-'usfuur yugharrid
Three ways to practise at home
- Make the sound first, then say the name: 'moo… بقرة'. The sound is the hook the word hangs on.
- Sort toy animals into a farm pile and a wild pile, naming each one in Arabic as it goes in.
- On a picture book page, ask 'أين الأسد؟' (where is the lion?) and let your child point before they can say it.
Questions parents ask
What are the first animals to teach in Arabic?+
Start with animals your child sees or loves: قطة (cat), كلب (dog), بقرة (cow), أسد (lion), فيل (elephant) and سمكة (fish). Six names are plenty for the first week.
How do you say the sounds animals make in Arabic?+
Arabic has a verb for each: the lion يزأر (roars), the dog ينبح (barks), the cat تموء (meows), the cow تخور (moos), the horse يصهل (neighs), the rooster يصيح (crows) and the donkey ينهق (brays).
Why do some animal names change, like قطة and قط?+
Arabic marks male and female: قط is a tom cat and قطة a female cat; the same goes for كلب/كلبة and أسد/لبؤة. Children usually learn the everyday form first — قطة, دجاجة, بقرة — and that is fine.
Related Articles
Fruits and Vegetables in Arabic for Kids
31 fruit and vegetable names in Arabic with pictures, English and pronunciation, the regional names you will hear (بندورة, بطاطس), kitchen games and a free colouring pack.
Body Parts in Arabic for Kids
24 body-part words in Arabic with pictures, English and pronunciation: the face, the body, inside the body and the five senses, with games and a free colouring pack.