Animals in Arabic: word list with pictures
60 words · tap 🔊 to hear each one in Arabic.
| Picture | English | Arabic | Say it | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cow | بَقَرَة | baqara | |
 | Bull | ثَوْر | thawr | |
 | Buffalo | جَامُوس | jāmūs | |
 | Goat | عَنْزَة | ʿanza | |
 | Sheep | خَرُوف | kharūf | |
 | Horse | حِصَان | ḥiṣān | |
 | Donkey | حِمَار | ḥimār | |
 | Camel | جَمَل | jamal | |
 | Pig | خِنْزِير | khinzīr | |
 | Yak | ثَوْرُ اليَاك | thawr al-yāk | |
 | Dog | كَلْب | kalb | |
 | Cat | قِطَّة | qiṭṭa | |
 | Rabbit | أَرْنَب | arnab | |
 | Hamster | هَامِسْتَر | hāmistar | |
 | Mouse | فَأْر | faʾr | |
 | Elephant | فِيل | fīl | |
 | Lion | أَسَد | asad | |
 | Tiger | نَمِر | namir | |
 | Leopard | فَهْد | fahd | |
 | Bear | دُبّ | dubb | |
 | Monkey | قِرْد | qird | |
 | Gorilla | غُورِيلَّا | ghūrīllā | |
 | Orangutan | إِنْسَانُ الغَاب | insān al-ghāb | |
 | Deer | غَزَال | ghazāl | |
 | Zebra | حِمَارٌ وَحْشِيّ | ḥimār waḥshī | |
 | Giraffe | زَرَافَة | zarāfa | |
 | Hippo | فَرَسُ النَّهْر | faras an-nahr | |
 | Rhino | وَحِيدُ القَرْن | waḥīd al-qarn | |
 | Fox | ثَعْلَب | thaʿlab | |
 | Wolf | ذِئْب | dhiʾb | |
 | Jackal | اِبْنُ آوَى | ibn āwā | |
 | Squirrel | سِنْجَاب | sinjāb | |
 | Mongoose | نِمْس | nims | |
 | Porcupine | شَيْهَم | shayham | |
 | Hedgehog | قُنْفُذ | qunfudh | |
 | Kangaroo | كَنْغَر | kanghar | |
 | Koala | كُوَالَا | kuwālā | |
 | Panda | بَانْدَا | bāndā | |
 | Polar Bear | دُبٌّ قُطْبِيّ | dubb quṭbī | |
 | Sloth | كَسْلَان | kaslān | |
 | Bat | خُفَّاش | khuffāsh | |
 | Wild Boar | خِنْزِيرٌ بَرِّيّ | khinzīr barrī | |
 | Indian Bison | ثَوْرُ الغَوْر | thawr al-ghawr | |
 | Rat | جُرَذ | juradh | |
 | Fish | سَمَكَة | samaka | |
 | Goldfish | سَمَكَةٌ ذَهَبِيَّة | samaka dhahabiyya | |
 | Frog | ضِفْدَع | ḍifdaʿ | |
 | Whale | حُوت | ḥūt | |
 | Dolphin | دُلْفِين | dulfīn | |
 | Shark | قِرْش | qirsh | |
 | Octopus | أُخْطُبُوط | ukhṭubūṭ | |
 | Crab | سَلْطَعُون | salṭaʿūn | |
 | Prawn | رُوبْيَان | rūbyān | |
 | Squid | حَبَّار | ḥabbār | |
 | Seal | فُقْمَة | fuqma | |
 | Jellyfish | قِنْدِيلُ البَحْر | qindīl al-baḥr | |
 | Pufferfish | السَّمَكَةُ المُنْتَفِخَة | as-samaka al-muntafikha | |
 | Otter | قُضَاعَة | quḍāʿa | |
 | Starfish | نَجْمُ البَحْر | najm al-baḥr | |
 | Seahorse | حِصَانُ البَحْر | ḥiṣān al-baḥr |
Animals name in Arabic is one of the most loved topics for young children, because every animal has a picture, a sound and often a story. This page has 60 animals with pictures and clear Modern Standard Arabic audio, from جَمَل (jamal, camel) and حِصَان (ḥiṣān, horse) to أَسَد (asad, lion) and حُوت (ḥūt, whale). Tap a picture to hear its name in Arabic and English, then play Find it or Memory.
Domestic and farm animals in Arabic
Start with animals your child sees or hears about often. Farm animals, حيوانات المزرعة, include بَقَرَة (baqara, cow), خَرُوف (kharūf, sheep), عَنْزَة (ʿanza, goat), حِمَار (ḥimār, donkey), جَامُوس (jāmūs, buffalo) and, of course, جَمَل and حِصَان. Pets and animals around the house include قِطَّة (qiṭṭa, cat), أَرْنَب (arnab, rabbit), سَمَكَة (samaka, fish) and فَأْر (faʾr, mouse). The cat is a much-loved animal in Arab homes and streets, and قِطَّة is often one of a child's first words.
Camels, horses and the animals of Arabia
The camel holds a special place in Arab culture. It carried families and trade across the desert for thousands of years, and camel racing and camel beauty festivals are still popular in the Gulf. Arabic has many words for camels of different ages and kinds, but جَمَل is the one children learn first; a baby camel is حُوَار (ḥuwār). The Arabian horse is famous around the world for its beauty and stamina. Other animals of the region you can talk about are the falcon (صَقْر, the national bird of the UAE), the gazelle (غَزَال, ghazāl, which is in our game) and the Arabian oryx (المها).
Wild animals in Arabic
Wild animals, الحيوانات البرية, include أَسَد (lion), نَمِر (namir, tiger), فِيل (fīl, elephant), دُبّ (dubb, bear), قِرْد (qird, monkey), زَرَافَة (zarāfa, giraffe), ثَعْلَب (thaʿlab, fox) and ذِئْب (dhiʾb, wolf). Some names are fun descriptions: the hippo is فَرَسُ النَّهْر, "horse of the river", the rhino is وَحِيدُ القَرْن, "the one with a single horn", and the zebra is حِمَارٌ وَحْشِيّ, "wild donkey". Explaining these helps children remember them.
English "giraffe" actually comes from Arabic زَرَافَة, a neat fact for older children.
Sea animals in Arabic
Families in the Gulf live by the sea, and many sea animals are in the game: حُوت (whale), دُلْفِين (dulfīn, dolphin), قِرْش (qirsh, shark), أُخْطُبُوط (ukhṭubūṭ, octopus), سَلْطَعُون (salṭaʿūn, crab) and نَجْمُ البَحْر (najm al-baḥr, starfish, "star of the sea"). The seahorse is حِصَانُ البَحْر, "horse of the sea". Pearl diving was once central to Gulf life, which makes a lovely story to share at the beach or aquarium.
How to teach animal names in Arabic at home
- Five at a time. Pick five animals and play Listen for two minutes.
- Where is it? Lay out toy animals and ask أين الجمل؟ (ayna l-jamal?, where is the camel?).
- Move like the animal. Hop like أرنب, stomp like فيل, swim like سمكة.
- Link to letters. Many animals appear on the Arabic alphabet cards: ج for جَمَل, ف for فِيل, ز for زَرَافَة.
- Zoo and farm visits. Name every animal you see, and let your child be the guide next time.
Talk about kindness to animals: giving water to a thirsty cat or bird is a value children in Arab and Muslim homes often hear stories about. It turns vocabulary into character.
What to expect by age
At 2-3, children learn 5-10 animal names, mostly pets and farm animals, and enjoy making animal sounds. At 3-4, they name 15-20 animals and sort them into home, farm, wild and sea. At 4-5, they use short phrases like الأسد كبير (the lion is big). At 5-6, they read short vowelled words such as دُبّ and فِيل. For Urdu, compare animals name in Urdu, which shares some words like زرافہ; for Hindi and English, see animals name in Hindi and English, and for the noises animals make, the animal sounds game.
أسماء الحيوانات للأطفال بالعربية
في هذه الصفحة ستون حيوانًا مع صورة وصوت واضح بالعربية الفصحى: حيوانات المزرعة مثل البقرة والخروف والجمل والحصان، والحيوانات البرية مثل الأسد والفيل والزرافة، وحيوانات البحر مثل الحوت والدلفين ونجم البحر.
لتعليم أسماء الحيوانات، العبوا بضع دقائق، وقلّدوا حركات الحيوانات، وزوروا حديقة الحيوان أو المزرعة. احكوا لأطفالكم عن الجمل صديق الصحراء، وعن الرفق بالحيوان، فالكلمات تبقى في الذاكرة حين ترتبط بقصة جميلة.
How to use this page at home
Say it, then find it
Play for a few minutes, then look for the same thing away from the screen: arabic words on the shelf, in the kitchen, on the way to school. A child learns a word properly when they meet it twice, once on the screen and once in their hand.
Ten minutes is enough
Short and happy beats long and tired. Stop while your child still wants more, and come back tomorrow: the same page on five short days teaches far more than one long sitting. Nothing here is scored, so there is no reason to push.
Use both languages
Tap the language button at the top to hear the words in your home language first and the second language after. Hearing the same picture named in two languages is one of the few things research agrees builds attention as well as vocabulary.
