Animals & Pets in Spanish: A1 Vocabulary Guide

◄ Back to A1 Vocabulary Hub | Practice with Our Animals Quiz ►

Key Takeaways

• Learn essential Spanish vocabulary for common pets, farm animals, and wildlife
• Master phrases for talking about your pets and favorite animals
• Understand the gender of animal nouns and how to make them plural
• Practice describing animals’ characteristics and sounds
• Build vocabulary for talking about animals you see in nature

Talk About the Animal Kingdom in Spanish

From household pets to animals in the wild, this vocabulary will help you talk about the creatures you love. Whether you’re describing your own pet, talking about a trip to the farm, or discussing wildlife, these words are essential for everyday conversation in Spanish.

Common Pets (Mascotas Comunes)

English	Spanish	Example Sentence
Dog	el perro	Mi perro es muy juguetón. (My dog is very playful.)
Cat	el gato	El gato duerme en el sofá. (The cat sleeps on the couch.)
Fish	el pez (singular) / los peces (plural)	Tengo tres peces en mi acuario. (I have three fish in my aquarium.)
Bird	el pájaro	El pájaro canta por la mañana. (The bird sings in the morning.)
Hamster	el hámster	El hámster corre en su rueda. (The hamster runs in its wheel.)
Rabbit	el conejo	El conejo come zanahorias. (The rabbit eats carrots.)
Turtle	la tortuga	La tortuga camina lentamente. (The turtle walks slowly.)

💡 Grammar Note: Animal nouns have gender (el perro, la tortuga). To specify male or female, you can add “macho” (male) or “hembra” (female): “un perro macho” (a male dog), “una tortuga hembra” (a female turtle).

Farm Animals (Animales de Granja)

English	Spanish	Example Sentence
Cow	la vaca	La vaca da leche. (The cow gives milk.)
Horse	el caballo	El caballo corre en el campo. (The horse runs in the field.)
Pig	el cerdo	El cerdo vive en la granja. (The pig lives on the farm.)
Sheep	la oveja	La oveja tiene lana. (The sheep has wool.)
Goat	la cabra	La cabra come hierba. (The goat eats grass.)
Chicken	la gallina (hen) / el pollo (chicken)	La gallina pone huevos. (The hen lays eggs.)
Duck	el pato	Los patos nadan en el lago. (The ducks swim in the lake.)
Rooster	el gallo	El gallo canta al amanecer. (The rooster crows at dawn.)

Wild Animals (Animales Salvajes)

English	Spanish	Example Sentence
Elephant	el elefante	El elefante es muy grande. (The elephant is very big.)
Lion	el león	El león es el rey de la selva. (The lion is the king of the jungle.)
Tiger	el tigre	El tigre tiene rayas. (The tiger has stripes.)
Bear	el oso	El oso vive en el bosque. (The bear lives in the forest.)
Monkey	el mono	El mono come plátanos. (The monkey eats bananas.)
Wolf	el lobo	El lobo aúlla a la luna. (The wolf howls at the moon.)
Snake	la serpiente	La serpiente es larga. (The snake is long.)
Bird	el pájaro / el ave	Muchos pájaros vuelan al sur en invierno. (Many birds fly south in winter.)

Animal Sounds (Sonidos de Animales)

Animals “speak” differently in Spanish! Here’s how Spanish speakers hear animal sounds:

Animal	Spanish Sound	English Sound	Verb
Dog	¡Guau guau!	Woof woof!	Ladrar
Cat	¡Miau!	Meow!	Maullar
Cow	¡Muu!	Moo!	Mugir
Rooster	¡Quiquiriquí!	Cock-a-doodle-doo!	Cantar
Sheep	¡Bee!	Baa!	Balar
Bird	¡Pío pío!	Tweet tweet!	Piar

Talking About Your Pets (Hablar de Tus Mascotas)

Useful Phrases:

• “Tengo un perro/gato.” (I have a dog/cat.)
• “Mi mascota se llama…” (My pet’s name is…)
• “Es muy cariñoso/cariñosa.” (He/She is very affectionate.)
• “Tiene [número] años.” (He/She is [number] years old.)
• “Le gusta jugar/comer/dormir.” (He/She likes to play/eat/sleep.)

Example Description:

• “Tengo un perro que se llama Max. Tiene tres años. Es muy juguetón y le gusta correr en el parque.” (I have a dog named Max. He is three years old. He is very playful and likes to run in the park.)

🔍 Grammar Focus: Notice the verb tener (to have) for possession: “Tengo un perro,” “Tienes un gato.” This is one of the most important verbs in Spanish. Master it: Tener Conjugation: A1 Grammar Guide

🐾 Looking for even more animal vocabulary? For a comprehensive list of animals with images and example sentences, visit our dedicated hub page: Animals in Spanish: Complete Vocabulary Hub►. You’ll find extended lists of birds, insects, marine animals, and more to expand your wildlife vocabulary beyond the A1 basics. ◄ ►

At the Zoo Conversation (Conversación en el Zoológico)

Niño: ¡Mira, los elefantes!
Madre: Sí, son enormes. ¿Qué otros animales quieres ver?
Niño: Quiero ver los monos y los leones.
Madre: Los leones están durmiendo. Mira, allá están los osos.
Niño: Me encantan los osos. ¿Y los tigres?
Madre: Los tigres están cerca de las serpientes.
Niño: ¡Perfecto! Vamos a ver todos los animales.

Translation:
Child: Look, the elephants!
Mother: Yes, they’re huge. What other animals do you want to see?
Child: I want to see the monkeys and the lions.
Mother: The lions are sleeping. Look, the bears are over there.
Child: I love bears. What about the tigers?
Mother: The tigers are near the snakes.
Child: Perfect! Let’s go see all the animals.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Gender confusion: “el perro” (male), “la perra” (female dog)
2. Plural forms: “el pez” becomes “los peces”
3. Using “animal” correctly: “el animal” (singular), “los animales” (plural)
4. Different words for young animals: “el pollo” (chicken), “el gallo” (rooster), “la gallina” (hen)
5. Regional variations: Some animals have different names in different countries

Quick Reference Chart

Category	Spanish Vocabulary
Pets	perro, gato, pez, pájaro, conejo, hámster
Farm Animals	vaca, caballo, cerdo, oveja, gallina, pato
Wild Animals	elefante, león, tigre, oso, mono, lobo
Pet Phrases	“Tengo…”, “Se llama…”, “Es cariñoso…”
Animal Sounds	“¡Guau guau!”, “¡Miau!”, “¡Muu!”

Practice Exercise: Describe Your Favorite Animal

Try describing your favorite animal in Spanish:

• Name of the animal
• Where it lives
• What it eats
• One characteristic

Example: “Mi animal favorito es el delfín. Vive en el océano. Come peces pequeños. Es muy inteligente y juguetón.“

Ready to Practice?

Think you know your animals in Spanish? Test your knowledge of pets, farm animals, and wildlife!

Take Our Animals & Pets Quiz ►

What’s Next in Your A1 Spanish Journey?

◄ Personality Traits | Practical Situations: At the Hotel ►

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