If you study world countries, you’ll realize just how unique each one is. 

So many things are different from one country to another: the economy, language, culture, resources, size, and the list goes on. But within these differences, we can always find commonalities that bring countries closer together. It could be the way we use technology, our ethical beliefs…

It could even be something more interesting—and fun—like animals! 

Learning the names of animals in Arabic will make your conversations with native speakers much more engaging and fun. Wherever you go, people will have pets, and everyone has stories to share about their favorite animals. 

But in order to engage in these conversations, you’ll need the right vocabulary.

That’s exactly what you’ll find here! ArabicPod101 has compiled a masterlist of the essential Arabic animal words you’ll need to talk about pets, wild animals, reptiles, and more. We’ve also included a few “extras” for you at the end. 😉

Table of Contents

1. At Home (Pets)
2. On the Farm (Farm Animals)
3. In the Wild / Forest / Safari (Land Animals)
4. In the Ocean (Aquatic / Marine Animals)
5. Bugs and Insects
6. Birds
7. Reptiles & Amphibians
8. Animal Body Parts
9. Animal-Related Idioms and Slang Expressions
10. Conclusion

1. At Home (Pets)

Like in most of the world, cats and dogs are the most popular pets in Arabic-speaking countries. Many people also like to keep birds, while rats and mice are very rarely kept as pets.

In countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, wealthy people often raise exotic animals as pets (such as jaguars and lions). However, this trend is becoming less and less popular. 

For familiarity’s sake, here are the animal names in Arabic for the most common pets in Western countries: 

قِط	qiṭ	cat
كَلب	kalb	dog
هامستر	hamster	hamster
أَرنَب	ʾarnab	rabbit
فَأر	faʾr	mouse
جُرَذ	ǧuraḏ	rat
خِنزير غيني	ḫinzīr ġīnī	guinea pig
سَمَك ذَهَبي	samak ḏahabī	goldfish
بَبَّغاء	babbaġāʾ	parrot

2. On the Farm (Farm Animals)

Farming is still big in Arab countries, where many people have to rely (partially or fully) on their own crops to eat and survive. This is because the economies in many of these countries are not very dynamic and provide few jobs. Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economies of countries like Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. 

Many people still rely on traditional farming methods, using animals for plowing and fertilization. The farm animals you’re used to in the West are pretty much the same as those in the Arab world.

Here’s a list of farm animals in Arabic:

بَقَرَة	baqarah	cow
خِنزير	ḫinzīr	pig
خَروف	ḫarūf	sheep
ماعِز	māʿiz	goat
حِصان	ḥiṣān	horse
دَجاجَة	daǧāǧah	hen
ديك رومي	dīk rūmī	turkey
بَجَعَة	baǧaʿah	goose
بَطَّة	baṭṭah	duck
ديك	dīk	rooster

3. In the Wild / Forest / Safari (Land Animals)

Following the spread of firearms, many wild mammals in Arabic-speaking countries had bounties placed upon them. This resulted in the extinction of many species, including the Atlas lion.

Atlas lions (or Barbary lions) were a lion population found in North Africa, particularly throughout the Maghreb region and in Egypt. Due to the continuous hunting of this species, it has been extinct since the late 1960s.

Still, there are plenty of wild animals that still abound in the Arab world. One can still find animals such as boars, foxes, hares, and wolves out in the wilderness.

دُب	dub	bear
ذِئب	ḏiʾb	wolf
غَزال	ġazal	deer
أَرنَب بَرّي	ʾarnab barrī	hare
ثَعلَب	ṯaʿlab	fox
قُنفُذ	qunfuḏ	hedgehog
سِنجاب	sinǧāb	squirrel
خِنزير بَرّي	ḫinzīr barrī	boar
قُندُس الأَرض	qundus al-ʾarḍ	groundhog
أَسَد	ʾasad	lion
نَمِر	namir	tiger
جاكوار	ǧākwar	jaguar
نَمِر	namir	panther
فيل	fīl	elephant
زَرافَة	zarāfah	giraffe
قِرد	qird	monkey
غوريلا	ġūrīlā	gorilla
كَنغَر	kanġar	kangaroo
كوالا	koala	koala
باندا	bāndā	panda
كَسلان	kaslān	sloth
فُقمَة	fuqmah	seal
بَطريق	baṭrīq	penguin
دُب قُطبي	dub quṭbī	polar bear
فَظ	faẓ	walrus

4. In the Ocean (Aquatic / Marine Animals)

Did you know that the Arabian Peninsula is surrounded by five bodies of water? There’s the Red Sea (West), Persian Gulf (East), Gulf of Aden (Southwest), Gulf of Oman (Southeast), and the Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean (South). 

Morocco has the Atlantic Ocean (West) and the Mediterranean Sea (North), and it shares the latter with other North African countries including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. 

Therefore, learning the names of marine animals in Arabic may come in handy for many situations. A great example is when reading Arabic literature, as marine animals are frequently used in hypothetical descriptions.

Here’s a list of 12 aquatic animals to get you started…

سَمَك	samak	fish
قِرش	qirš	shark
دولفين	dūlfīn	dolphin
حوت	ḥūt	whale
أَسَد البَحر	ʾasad al-baḥr	sealion
قِنديل البَحر	qindīl al-baḥr	jellyfish
أُخطُبوط	ʾuḫṭubūṭ	octopus
فَرَس البَحر	faras al-baḥr	seahorse
قُنفُذ البَحر	qunfuḏ al-baḥr	urchin
نَجم البَحر	naǧm al-baḥr	starfish
بَلَح البَحر	balaḥ al-baḥr	mussel
خِيَار البَحر	ḫiyar al-baḥr	sea cucumber

5. Bugs and Insects

If you plan on visiting an Arab country, learning the names of bugs and insects might prove useful. You never know when mosquitos in Mauritania will interrupt your sleep, or when a couple of flies will start roaming around your food in Morocco.

While there are plenty of annoying bugs to complain about, there are also beautiful insects to find in nature as you travel. Many of them are subspecies you’ve never seen before! 

Below is a list of 12 words for bugs and insects in Arabic:

نَحلَة	naḥlah	bee
دَبّور	dabbūr	wasp
بَعوضَة	baʿūḍah	mosquito
ذُبابَة	ḏubābah	fly
عِنكَبوت	ʿinkabūt	spider
جَراد	ǧarād	grasshopper
صُرصور	ṣurṣūr	cockroach
فَراشَة	farāšah	butterfly
نَملَة	namlah	ant
عُثَّة	ʿuṯṯah	moth
حَلزون	ḥalzūn	snail
بُزاق	buzāq	slug

6. Birds

Since the times of messenger pigeons, birds have been close friends with people around the world, including in the Arabian Peninsula and some of today’s Arabic-speaking countries.

الورَس	nawras	seagull
غُراب	ġurāb	crow
نِسر	nisr	eagle
حَمامَة	ḥamāmah	dove
بومَة	būmah	owl
عُقعُق	ʿuqʿuq	magpie
عَصفور	ʿaṣfūr	sparrow
طاوُوس	ṭāwūs	peacock

7. Reptiles & Amphibians

Reptiles are common around deserts in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, so there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a few if you visit these areas. You could even get a chance to play with snakes in Marrakech (Morocco’s cultural capital) or probably anywhere in the UAE. 

In most Arab cultures, toads (and reptiles/amphibians in general) are thought to bring bad luck. You should avoid approaching or touching such animals in the wilderness, as this is not something your Arab friends will have fun watching or joining in.

ضِفدَع	ḍifdaʿ	frog
عَلجوم	ʿalǧūm	toad
تِمساح	timsāḥ	crocodile
سِحلِيَّة	siḥliyyah	lizard
سُلحِفاة	sulḥifāh	turtle
سُلحِفاةُ البَحر	sulḥifāẗu al-baḥr	sea turtle
ثُعبان	ṯuʿbān	snake

8. Animal Body Parts

The next set of Arabic animal words we’ll look at are the terms for body parts. Learning these terms will allow you to share that story of the time your dog hurt its tail, or to describe the strange bird you saw on your last hiking trip. 

ذَيْل	ḏayl	tail
شَعر	šaʿr	hair
فِراء	firāʾ	fur
سِن	sin	tooth
ناب	nāb	fang
مِخلَب	miḫlab	claw
قَرن	qarn	horn
حافِر	ḥāfir	hoof
ريش	rīš	feather
جَناح	ǧanāḥ	wing
مِنقار	minqār	beak
فَم	fam	mouth
زُعنُفَة	zuʿnufah	fin
مِجَس	miǧas	tentacle
جِذع	ǧiḏʿ	trunk
ناب	nāb	tusk
قَرن اِستِشعار	qarn istišʿār	antenna
رِجل	riǧl	leg
حَرشَفَة	ḥaršafah	scale

9. Animal-Related Idioms and Slang Expressions

As promised, here are some extra animal words in Arabic for you! Below, you’ll find animal curse words and animal-related idioms that are common in Arabic-speaking countries. 

Animal Curse Words

Animal curse words exist in every language, but the animals used change from one language to another.

Did you know that the word “animal” itself is an insult in Arabic? This is in contrast to how it’s often used in American English, as a compliment to describe someone with great drive or power. 

Here are a few animal curse words in Arabic along with their romanizations and translations:

Curse Word	Romanization	Translation
جَحش	ǧaḥš	colt
كَلب	kalb	dog
حَيَوَان	ḥayawaān	animal
ضَبع	dabʿ	hyena
حِمار	ḥimār	donkey

Idioms

Idiom	Romanization	Literal Translation	Meaning
يَدفِنُ رَأسَهُ في التُراب كَالنَعام	yadfinu raʾsahu fī al-turāb kal-naʿām	Bury one’s head in the sand like an ostrich	To be in denial
يَهرَبُ كَالفأر	yahrabu kal-faʾr	Run away like a mouse	To be a coward
مَكّار كَالثَعلَب	makkār kal-ṯaʿlab	Cunning like a fox	Extremely cunning (negative connotation)
يُكَرِّرُ الكَلام كَالبَبَّغاء	yukarriru al-kalām kal-babbaġāʾ	Repeat the words like a parrot	To be a person who can’t think for themself, so they repeat whatever they hear

Conclusion

Congratulations for getting this far. You’re now armed with all the Arabic animal words you need to name every animal at the zoo. Knowing these words will also make it easier for you to read children’s stories and basic Arabic narrations, as animals play a major role in this type of literature. 

To practice your newfound knowledge, let us know in the comments what your favorite animal is in Arabic! 

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تَعَلُّماً مُمتِعاً!
taʿalluman mumtiʿan!
Happy learning!