Vocabulary List
動物 (dōbutsu)
Common animals in Japanese, including several that appear in the Chinese zodiac.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 犬 | inu | dog |
| 猫 | neko | cat |
| 鳥 | tori | bird |
| 魚 | sakana | fish |
| 馬 | uma | horse |
| 牛 | ushi | cow |
| 豚 | buta | pig |
| 羊 | hitsuji | sheep |
| 猿 | saru | monkey |
| 象 | zō | elephant |
| ライオン | raion | lion |
| 熊 | kuma | bear |
| うさぎ | usagi | rabbit |
| きつね | kitsune | fox |
| 鹿 | shika | deer |
| 亀 | kame | turtle |
| 蛇 | hebi | snake |
| 蝶 | chō | butterfly |
Several of these animals are also one of the twelve 干支 (eto) — the zodiac signs that cycle through years in the Japanese and Chinese calendars: 牛 (ox), 兎 (rabbit, written 兎 in the zodiac vs. うさぎ here), 馬 (horse), 羊 (sheep), 猿 (monkey), 犬 (dog), and 蛇 (snake, as 巳). きつね (fox) holds a special place in Japanese folklore as the messenger of Inari, the god of rice and prosperity — you'll see fox statues guarding the entrances to Inari shrines across Japan.
Read about the Japanese zodiac and its twelve animal signs on our blog.