In different languages what do we say to mimic animal sounds? Below is the world's biggest multilingual list. A guiding principle behind this list is to visualise a comic book, in your language, and imagine what would be written in the text balloon coming from the mouth of an animal. For languages that use a different alphabet, I have tried to transliterate the word into the English alphabet for ease of comparison. A forward slash is used to separate alternative words. Please email me at dabbott(at)eleceng.adelaide.edu.au if you have any comments, corrections or additions.
Acknowledgements: (Danish) Per-Anker Lindgard; (Dutch) Henk van Beijeren; (English) Derek Abbott, Lloyd Irving, Cosma Shalizi, Oxford English Dictionary; (Finnish) Antti-Pekka Jauho; (French) Frederic Bonnet; (German) Ehrhard Behrends, Inke Pitz, Irena Hajnsek; (Greek) Anna Tanatzi; (Hebrew) Amit Singer; (Hungarian) Janos Bergou, Andrea Kish; (Italian) Riccardo Mannella, Louise Giamarino; (Japan) Miki Kurahashi, Nobuko Fuchikami; (Russian) Vadim Smelyanski, Slava Soskin, Kira Foygel, Mark Dykman; (Spanish) Jose Francisco Lopez Feliciano, Sebastian "Chano" Lopez Suarez, Jorge Rodriguez, Armando Morales-Castorena; (Swedish) Lisen Kulman; (Turkish) Nesimi Ertugrul.
Animal Sound |
Danish | Dutch | English | Finnish | French | German | Greek | Hebrew | Hungarian | Italian | Japanese | Portugese | Russian | Spanish | Swedish | Turkish | Urdu |
Bee droning | bzzz | buzz | buzz/bzzz | bzz | bzzz | summ summ | zoum zoum | bzzz | bzzz | zzzz | boon boon |
zh-zh-zh | bzzz | buzz buzz | vizzz | bzzz | |
Bird (small) | pip-pip | tjiep | cheep/chirp/ chirrup/peep |
piip | piep piep | tsiou tsiou | tziff-tziff | csip-csirip | chip | pee pee/ pii pii |
fiyt-fiyt | pip-pip | jiyk jiyk | ||||
Bird (medium) | dit kari jay sige lige sa tit son jay vol | cheep cheep/ tweet |
tsirk/ piip |
cui cui | tschiwitt | tsiou tsiou | csirip | chip | pio | pío pío | pip-pip | juyk juyk | |||||
Bird (big) | squawk | kvak | kra kra | hihihi/ chip (loudly) |
ouh-ouh | ||||||||||||
Bird (many birds) | warble/twitter | chip chip | |||||||||||||||
Camel nuzzing | grumph | ga-a-a-a-h | |||||||||||||||
Cat mewing | miav | miauw | meow | miau | miaou | miau | miaou | miyau | miau | miau | nyan nyan/ nyaa nyaa |
miyau | miao | mjan mjan | miyav | meow | |
Cat purring | pierr | prrr | purr | hrr | ronron | srr | doromb | purr | goro goro | mrrr | rrr | ||||||
Chaffinch | pink | ||||||||||||||||
Chicken (hen) clucking | tok tok | cluck cluck | kot-kot | cotcotcodet | tock tock | ko ko ko/ka ka ka | chuck-chuck | kot kot | coccodé | ku-ku-ku-ku/ ko-ko-ko-ko |
ko-ko-ko | caca-racá/ cocorocó/ |
ock-ock | gut gut gdak | |||
Rooster (cock) crowing | kykyliky | kukeleku | cock-a-doodle-doo | kukko kiekuu | cocorico | kikeriki | kikiriku/ kikiriki |
coo-koo-ri-koo | kukuriku | chicchirichí | ko-ke-kok-ko-o |
cucurucu | kukareku | quiquiriquí/ kikiriki |
kuckeliku | kuk-kurri-kuuu u uru uuu (pron: oo-oore-oo) |
kuklooku |
Chick (baby chicken) | pip-pip | piep piep | cheep/peep | piip | piou piou | piep piep | ko ko ko | csip-csip | pio pio | piyo piyo |
pi-pi-pi | pi-pi | pip-pip | jiyk jiyk |
tsik-tsik | ||
Cow lowing | moe/ boe |
moo | ammuu/ möö (calf) |
meuh | mmuuh | moo | moo | mu | muu | mau mau |
mu-u-u | muuu/ meee |
mu mu | mooo (pron: meuh) | baeh | ||
Cow/Bull (angry) snorting | snurk | snort | pärsk | pfff | buff | ||||||||||||
Crane | clang | ||||||||||||||||
Crocodile (biting) | klap | snap | clap | klap | gnam | clap/ clack |
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Crow cawing | kra-kra | kra kra | kaak/ caw |
kraa/ vaak |
croa croa | kräh kräh | kra-kra | krak-krak | kár-kár | cra cra | kar-kar | kar-kar | ah ah | kra kra | gaak gaak | ||
Cuckoo | koekoek | cuckoo | kukkuu | coucou | kuckuck | cuckoo | kakukk | cucú | kakko-kakko/ tokkyo-kyoka-kyoku (baby cuckoo) |
ku-ku | cu-cu | ko-ko | |||||
Deer | troat | ||||||||||||||||
Donkey braying | i-a | hee haw/ eeyore |
hihan | iaah iaah | iaa iaa | yi-ah | iá-iá | ioh ioh | ia-ia | iha iha/ ji-jo |
a-iiii a-iiii | ||||||
Dog barking (small dog) | vov-vov (in a high voice) | waf waf | yap yap/ arf arf |
hau hau | ouah ouah (in a high voice) | wau wau (in a high voice) |
how-how | vau vau | arf arf/ bau bau |
kian kian |
hav-hav/ gav-gav |
guau/ gua |
bjäbb-bjäbb | hev hev | |||
Dog barking (medium dog) | vov-vov | woef woef | woof woof/ ruff ruff |
vuff | ouah ouah | wau wau | gav gav | woof-woof | vau vau | bau bau | wan wan | hav-hav/ gav-gav |
guav | vov-vov/ voff |
hauv hauv | ||
Dog barking (big dog) | vov-vov (in a low voice) | bow wow | vuff/ rouf |
ouah ouah (in a low voice) | wuff wuff | vau vau | bau bau | wan wan |
hav-hav/ gav-gav |
guf guf | hov hov | bow bow | |||||
Dog (biting) | gnash/ snap |
naps | gnam | gari gari | chac | ||||||||||||
Dog (gnawing bone) | knor | chomp/ chump/ gnaw |
chrong | paku paku | chua-chua | haart haart | |||||||||||
Dog (angry) | grrr | grr | grrr/ snarl/ growl |
mrr | grrr | grrr | grrr | grr | uuuuu | grrrrr | grrr | grr | hirrrr | ||||
Dog (crying) | whine/whimper | juhhh | yu-yu-yuuu! | ||||||||||||||
Dog (panting) |
ha ha | pant pant | lääh-lääh | cha-cha | pant pant | hah hah | he-he-he | eh eh eh | heh heh heh | ||||||||
Dog (distressed) | peep-peep | yelp/yip/ howl/yowl |
ui-ui | juhhh | huuu | o-u-u-u-h | auu | ||||||||||
Dog (drinking) | lap lap | glup | schlapp schlapp | lefety lefety | slop slop/ slurp |
hu-up hu-up | blap blap | slap slap slap (pron: schlup) | |||||||||
Dove crooding | roekoe | coo | kurr | rou rou | guru guru | burukk | uuu | grl-grl | gu gu/ cucurrucu |
oo ho oo ho | gu gu gu guuk | ||||||
Duck gabbing | rap-rap | kwak kwak | quack quack | kvak | coin coin | quack quack | pa-pa-pa | quak-quak | háp-háp | qua qua | ga ga |
krya-krya | cua cua | kvack-kvack | vak vak | quak quak | |
Elephant trumpeting | baraag | tööt | toerroe | baaa | paoh-paoh |
u-u-u | biaaah | ||||||||||
Frog | kvæk-kvæk | kwak kwak | croak/ ribbit (USA) |
kvaak | croa croa | quaak quaak | quak-quak | bre-ke-ke/ kuty kurutty/ kurutty (pron: kurutch) |
cra cra | kero kero |
kva-kva | croac croac | ko ack ack ack | vrak vrak | |||
Goat bleating | mæh | mè mè | naa | mää | bêê | maehh maehh | maehehe | meh meh | mek-mek | bee | me-e me-e | me-e-e | beee | määk määk | me-e-e me-e-e | meh | |
Goose cackling | gak gak | honk | tööt | gak gak | gá-gá | ga-a ga-a | ga-ga-ga | gak gak | |||||||||
Horse neighing |
neigh | hi-hiin |
i-go-go | iihaha | |||||||||||||
Horse shuddering | prrr/ vrinsk |
brrr | brrr | bhhh | |||||||||||||
Horse whinnying | hi hi | wehee | iha-haa | hiiiii | wihiie | nyihaha | hiii | hihiiiiin |
ihiii | e-he-he-he | |||||||
Horse (hoof sound) | klip-klap | klip klap | clip clop | kopotikop | clip clop | klip klap | clippete/ clip clop |
paka paka | ta-tá ta-tá ta-tá | cotocloc | deg-a-dek | ||||||
Lion roaring | grrrr/ grauuw |
raa/grr/roar | raoh | grr | ah ah/gra gra | grr/ roar |
gaooooo | r-r-r-r | grr | uagh | |||||||
Moose | bröl | ||||||||||||||||
Mouse squeeking | piep piep | eek | piep piep | cin-cin (pron: tsin-tsin) | squit | chu-chu | pi-pi-pi | iiik | pip-pip | viyk viyk | |||||||
Owl hooting | oe hoe | twit twoo/hoo hoo/whit woo/terwit terwoo | huhuu | hou hou | uhu/ huuh huuh |
hu | hu hu | hoh hoh | uh! uh! uh! | uhh uhh | ho-ho | uuu uuu | hoo hoo | ||||
Ox lowing | boo/booh | meuh | |||||||||||||||
Parrot | lorre/ Lora Lora |
pretty Polly/ Who's a pretty boy? |
coco | Lora Lora | gyuri | pityu | Portobello | ohayo (=good morning) |
Pópka-durák | lorito lorito | vakra klara | naaber naaber/ nasilin nasilin/ mucuk mucuk (pron: mujuk) |
mea mitu/ churi |
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Pig grunting | øf-øf | knor knor | oink | nöff | groin groin | grunz | röf-röf (pron: reuf-reuf) | oink |
boo boo |
hrgu-hrgu | oink/ oinc |
nöff-nöff | |||||
Pig squealing | hvin | sweek | wee wee | quiek | ui-uii | bu-hii bu-hii | iiih/ uiii/ cuiii |
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Pigeon cooing | coo | kurr | rou rou | guru guru | gru uu | woo-woo | burukk | hu hu | guli-guli | ruú-ruú/ cucurrocu |
oo ho oo ho | gu gu gu guuk | |||||
Raven croaking | kra-kra | kra kra | caw | croâ croâ | kra-kra | kár-kár | cra cra | kar-kar | kra-kra | ||||||||
Sheep bleating | mæh-mæh | bè bè | baa | mäh | bêê | baehh baehh | mae-ee | beee | bee | meh meh |
beee | beee beee | bä bä | maeh maeh | |||
Snake hissing | sss | sss | sss | hiss | sss | sss | sss | psss | sz-sz | hshs | ssss | sss | sss | sss | |||
Sparrow | chun chun | ||||||||||||||||
Tiger roaring | grr | grr | raa/grr | grr | grr | grr | grr | gaooooo | grrr | grrr | grr | ||||||
Turkey (male cock) | gobble gobble | glou glou | glou glou | clou clou/ goro-goro-goro (Mexico) |
glu glu | ||||||||||||
Turkey (female hen) | yelp | ||||||||||||||||
Wolf howling | oou | ahoo/ hoeea |
owooooo | uhuu | ooouh | huh | oou | huu | uuu | auuuh | oooahh | ooo | |||||
Woodcock | peent |
In different languages what do we say when we tell an animal to do something?
Animal Command |
Danish | Dutch | English | Finnish | French | German | Greek | Hebrew | Hungarian | Italian | Japanese | Portugese | Russian | Spanish | Swedish | Turkish | Urdu |
Go faster (horse) | hyp-hyp | hort | giddyup | hep | hu | hueah/ hüh |
hei-hei | hoysa | gyi/ rá-rá |
vai | poshlá | arre | (This is unwritable as it is a sound made with the lips) | deh | tazebahaga | ||
Slow down (horse) | prr-prr | ho | whoa | ptruu | ho | brr | sh-sh-sh | hó | piano | doh doh | stoy! | sooo | prot | brr | aista | ||
Come here (cat) | kissar-kissar | poes poes/ ps ps ps |
here kitty kitty | kis-kis | bi biss | mietz mietz | ps-ps-ps | pss-pss | cic-cic | vieni ricio | neko chan oide | ks-ks-ks | misu misu/ bishito bishito (Mexico) |
kiss-kiss | pissy-pissy | ahow | |
Go away (cat) | hiss | kst/ ksjjjt |
scat | schhh | psit!! | kishta | sic/ hess |
via | bryss! |
zupe/ sáquese (Mexico) |
shas | kis kis (pron: kisht) | huto | ||||
Come here (dog) | kom | kom kom | here boy | komm hier | ela! | hozzám/ ide |
quí | wan chan oide |
syudá | tiu | kom nit | gel/ kucu kucu (pron: kucher) |
ahow | ||||
Sit down (dog) | sit | zit | sit | istu | assis | sitz | katse!! | shev | üi/ ülj |
siedi | sidét | sit/ sientate |
sitt | otur | bato | ||
Walk behind me (dog) | volg | heel | paikka | bei Fuss | takarj | dietro | za mnoy | fot | peachao | ||||||||
Get stick (dog) | aport | raport | fetch/ get |
hae | va chercher | hol's | hup!/ piasto! |
tfos | hozd ide | prendi | apórt | cogeb | apport | tut/ yeakalla |
utalao | ||
Go away (dog) | vak | weg/ vort |
verschwinde | exo! | kishta | el | via | poshlá/ von |
fuera/ ajucia/ sáquese (Mexico) |
gå | host (pron: hosht) | hoosh | |||||
Go away (any animal) | vak | kst/ weg/ vort |
shoo/ scram |
chassez/ va-t'en |
ab/ husch/ geh weg |
exo! | kishta | el | via | espante | poshlá/ von |
vete/ fuera |
shas | defol | |||
Go away (bird) | vak | kst | hess | shó | shi shi | kysh! | ssk/ shh/ sio |
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Come here (cow) | buzo-buzo | booie | ide | vacaaa | kossera kossera kossera mi | gel sari kiz | ao | ||||||||||
Come here (pig) | sooie | ide | turre turre | ||||||||||||||
Come here (chicken) |
put-put | tsip tsip | |||||||||||||||
In different languages what are the most typical names we give to our pets or animals in children's story books?
Animal |
Danish | Dutch | English | Finnish | French | German | Greek | Hebrew | Hungarian | Italian | Japanese | Portugese | Russian | Spanish | Swedish | Turkish | Urdu |
Bear | Pooh, Paddington | nalle, otso, mesikämmen | Winny | Puh | Bubu | ||||||||||||
Bull | Angus | Torito | |||||||||||||||
Cat | Tom, Boots | kisu | Félix | Pussi | Micifús | ||||||||||||
Ceyote | Wiley | ||||||||||||||||
Chicken | Chicken Licken | tipu | Cocotte | Coco | |||||||||||||
Cow | Daisy, Voilet, Mavis |
ammu, Mansikki | Marguerite | Carolina/ Margherita |
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Donkey | Eeyore | ||||||||||||||||
Dog (small) | Fifi, Tiddles | hauva | Toutou/ Oscar |
Musetta | Solovino |
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Dog (medium) | Lassie, Rover, Spot, Fluffy, Snowy |
Rintintin | |||||||||||||||
Dog (big) |
Bounder, Rex, Bowser |
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Dog (bad) |
Gnasher, Bruiser | Nerón | |||||||||||||||
Duck | Jemima, Donald | Kalle ja Liisa (name for a pair of ducks) | Paperino/ Paperina |
Pascual | |||||||||||||
Elephant | Jumbo, Nellie, Dumbo |
Baban | Dumbo | ||||||||||||||
Frog | Kermit | René | |||||||||||||||
Goat | Billy, Nanny | ||||||||||||||||
Horse | Trigger, Silver | heppa, humma, koni | Jolly Jumper | Furia | |||||||||||||
Kangaroo | Skippy | Skipper | Skippy | ||||||||||||||
Lion | Reggie, Leo | Leo | Kimba | ||||||||||||||
Moose | Bullwinkle | ||||||||||||||||
Mouse | Jerry, Mickey, Minnie | hiiru, hiirulainen | Topolino/ Jerry |
Speedy González | |||||||||||||
Owl | Whootie | ||||||||||||||||
Parrot | Polly | ||||||||||||||||
Pig | Piglet | nasu, possu | Cuinito | ||||||||||||||
Rabbit | Bugs, Peter, Brer |
kani | Bugs | ||||||||||||||
Rat | Roland | ||||||||||||||||
Reindeer | Rudolph, Prancer, Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Fabian | Rudolf | Rodolfo | ||||||||||||||
Sheep | Agnes | ||||||||||||||||
Snake | Lucifer | ||||||||||||||||
Tiger | Simba, Tigger, Tony |
Tigrou | |||||||||||||||