Spanish Animals Vocabulary: DELE A1 Complete Guide

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Key Takeaways

• Learn common animal names in Spanish
• Master pet descriptions and characteristics
• Understand animal sounds and habitats
• Learn farm, wild, and domestic animal terms
• Essential for DELE A1 descriptions and conversations

Welcome to your complete guide to Spanish animals vocabulary, essential for describing pets, talking about wildlife, and discussing animals in various contexts on the DELE A1 exam. This vocabulary is crucial for everyday conversations and descriptive tasks.

Domestic Animals and Pets

Common Household Pets

Spanish	English	Example Sentence	English Translation
el perro	the dog	Tengo un perro negro	I have a black dog
el gato	the cat	Mi gato es muy simpático	My cat is very friendly
el pájaro	the bird	El pájaro canta por la mañana	The bird sings in the morning
el pez	the fish	Los peces viven en el agua	Fish live in water
el conejo	the rabbit	El conejo come zanahorias	The rabbit eats carrots

DELE A1 Tip: Remember that “pez” is singular and “peces” is plural when talking about live fish. Use “pescado” for fish as food.

Farm Animals

Common Farm Animals

Spanish	English	Example Sentence	English Translation
la vaca	the cow	La vaca da leche	The cow gives milk
el caballo	the horse	El caballo corre rápido	The horse runs fast
la gallina	the hen	La gallina pone huevos	The hen lays eggs
el cerdo	the pig	El cerdo vive en la granja	The pig lives on the farm
la oveja	the sheep	La oveja tiene lana	The sheep has wool

Wild Animals

Common Wild Animals

Spanish	English	Example Sentence	English Translation
el león	the lion	El león es el rey	The lion is the king
el elefante	the elephant	El elefante es muy grande	The elephant is very big
el tigre	the tiger	El tigre tiene rayas	The tiger has stripes
el mono	the monkey	El mono come plátanos	The monkey eats bananas
el oso	the bear	El oso vive en el bosque	The bear lives in the forest

Animal Characteristics

Describing Animals

Spanish	English	Example	English Translation
grande	big	El elefante es grande	The elephant is big
pequeño	small	El ratón es pequeño	The mouse is small
rápido	fast	El guepardo es rápido	The cheetah is fast
lento	slow	La tortuga es lenta	The turtle is slow
peligroso	dangerous	El león es peligroso	The lion is dangerous

Animal Sounds

What Animals Say in Spanish

Animal	Spanish Sound	English Equivalent	Example Sentence	English Translation
el perro	guau guau	woof woof	El perro dice guau guau	The dog says woof woof
el gato	miau	meow	El gato dice miau	The cat says meow
la vaca	mu	moo	La vaca dice mu	The cow says moo
el pájaro	pío pío	tweet tweet	El pájaro dice pío pío	The bird says tweet tweet
el gallo	quiquiriquí	cock-a-doodle-doo	El gallo dice quiquiriquí	The rooster says cock-a-doodle-doo

Animal Habitats

Where Animals Live

Spanish	English	Example Animals	Example Sentence	English Translation
la granja	the farm	vaca, cerdo, gallina	Los animales viven en la granja	The animals live on the farm
la casa	the house	perro, gato, pájaro	Mi perro vive en la casa	My dog lives in the house
el bosque	the forest	oso, zorro, lobo	El oso vive en el bosque	The bear lives in the forest
el zoo	the zoo	león, tigre, elefante	Los niños visitan el zoo	The children visit the zoo

Pet Ownership Vocabulary

Talking About Pets

Spanish	English	Example	English Translation
tener una mascota	to have a pet	Tengo una mascota	I have a pet
cuidar a	to take care of	Cuido a mi perro	I take care of my dog
alimentar	to feed	Alimento a mi gato	I feed my cat
pasear	to walk	Paseo a mi perro	I walk my dog

DELE A1 Exam Practice

Speaking Section Examples

• Describe pets: “Tengo un perro que se llama Max” – “I have a dog named Max”
• Talk about animals: “Me gustan los gatos porque son independientes” – “I like cats because they are independent”
• Discuss preferences: “Prefiero los perros a los gatos” – “I prefer dogs to cats”
• Describe wildlife: “En el zoo hay leones y tigres” – “In the zoo there are lions and tigers”

Writing Section Examples

• Describe your favorite animal
• Write about your pet or desired pet
• Describe animals you see in a park
• Write about farm animals

Common Animal Questions

DELE A1 Animal Questions

• ¿Tienes mascotas? – Do you have pets?
• ¿Qué animal te gusta? – What animal do you like?
• ¿Dónde viven los leones? – Where do lions live?
• ¿Cómo se llama tu perro? – What’s your dog’s name?

Animal Categories

Grouping Animals

• animales domésticos – domestic animals
• animales de granja – farm animals
• animales salvajes – wild animals
• animales acuáticos – aquatic animals

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Wrong gender: ❌ “el gata” ✅ “la gata” (female cat)
• Confusing similar animals: ❌ “caballo” vs “yegua” ✅ “caballo” (horse), “yegua” (mare)
• Wrong plural: ❌ “los pezs” ✅ “los peces“

Next Step: Test Your Knowledge!

Ready to check your understanding of Spanish animals vocabulary?

Take our DELE A1 Spanish Animals Quiz here to confirm you’re ready for this part of the exam.

What’s Next in Your DELE A1 Journey?

• Ready for nature vocabulary? Study Spanish Nature and Environment
• Need more descriptions? Review Spanish Adjectives Guide
• Practice all A1 vocabulary? Take a Full A1 Vocabulary Test

Good luck with your DELE A1 preparation!

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