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Dogs, cats, snakes, horses, what do all these words have in common? They’re all animals! It’s fun to talk about your favorite wildlife when you learn Korean. So let’s boost our vocabulary and learn the words for all the different creatures in the Korean language.
We’ve made it easy by putting together a list and some examples. So let’s start the lesson!
Contents
Animal in Korean
To start out, we should know that the word for animals in Korea is 동물 (dongmul)
동물 (dongmul)
animal
While there are a lot of wild animals in South Korea, you’ll probably tend to see most of them at the 동물원 (dongmulwon). Any idea what that is? It’s a place where you’ll see a lot of Korean animals in one place.
동물원 (dongmulwon)
zoo
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at some lists of animals. Keep in mind that these are very general lists, and many animals could be included in multiple lists. We’re just keeping it simple.
Pets in Korean
개 (gae) = dog
강아지 (gangaji) = puppy
고양이 (goyangi) = cat
새 (sae) = bird
물고기 (mulgogi) = fish
Farm Animals
말 (mal) = horse
조랑말 (jorangmal) = pony
소 (so) = cow
쥐 (jwi) = mouse
돼지 (dwaeji) = pig
염소 (yeomso) = goat
양 (yang) = sheep
나비 (nabi) = butterfly
닭 (dak) = chicken
게 (ge) = crab
바닷가재 (badatgajae) = lobster
칠면조 (chilmyeonjo) = turkey
Forest Animals
늑대 (neukdae) = wolf
사슴 (saseum) = deer
황소 (hwangso) = ox
코뿔소 (koppulso) = rhinoceros
너구리 (neoguri) = raccoon
판다 (panda) = panda
하마 (hama) = hippo
토끼 (tokki) = rabbit
다람쥐 (daramjwi) = squirrel
곰 (gom) = bear
여우 (yeou) = fox
산토끼 (santokki) = hare
Aquatic Animals
고래 (gorae) = whale
거북이 (geobuki) = turtle
악어 (ageo) = crocodile
개구리 (gaeguri) = frog
물개 (mulgae) = otter
돌고래 (dolgorae) = dolphin
상어 (sangeo) = shark
오징어 (ojingeo) = squid
문어 (muneo) = octopus
오소리 (osori) = badger
잉어 (ingeo) = carp
고등어 (godeungeo) = mackerel
장어 (jangeo) = eel
가오리 (gaori) = stingray
Birds
앵무새 (aengmusae) = parrot
까치 (kkaji) = magpie
참새 (chamsae) = sparrow
까마귀 (kkamagwi) = crow
공작 (gongjak) = peacock
비둘기 (bidulgi) = dove
팽귄 (paenggwin) = penguin
타조 (tajo) = ostrich
두루미 (durumi) = crane
백조 (baekjo) = swan
독수리 (doksuri) = eagle
갈매기 (galmaegi) = gull
오리 (ori) = duck
거위 (geowi) = goose
매 (mae) = hawk
Various Wild Animals
사자 (saja) = lion
호랑이 (horangi) = tiger
고릴라 (gorilla) = gorilla
원숭이 (wonsungi) = monkey
침팬지 (chimpaenji) = chimpanzee
오랑우탄 (orangutan) = orangutan
얼룩말 (eollukmal) = zebra
표범 (pyobeom) = leopard
치타 (chita) = cheetah
코끼리 (kokkiri) = elephant
기린 (girin) = giraffe
뱀 (baem) = snake
낙타 (nakta) = camel
하이에나 (haiena) = hyena
영양 (yeongyang) = antelope
코알라 (koalla) = koala
도마뱀 (domabaem) = lizard
들소 (deulso) = bison
물소 (mulso) = water buffalo
캥거루 (kaengeoru) = kangaroo
개미 (gaemi) = ant
달팽이 (dalpaengi) = snail
모기 (mogi) = mosquito
북극곰 (bukgeukgom) = polar bear
National Animal of South Korea
Do you know what the South Korean National animal happens to be? It’s 호랑이 (horangi), tiger! The Siberian tiger is in many mythical stories in Korean culture, and some even think the Korean peninsula resembles a tiger.
The national bird of South Korea is the 까치 (kkaji), Asian magpie.
Korean Sample Sentences
We didn’t forget the simple Korean sentences to help you start some conversations! These are in standard Korean and are considered polite, you can use them in most situations.
제일 좋아하는 동물은 뭐예요? → What is your favorite animal?
(jeil joahaneun dongmureun mwoyeyo?)
내 제일 좋아하는 동물은 판다야. → My favorite animal is panda.
(nae jeil joahaneun dongmureun pandaya.)
그 동물원에서 북극곰도 있던데. → That zoo has polar bears as well.
(geu dongmulwoneseo bukgeukgomdo itdeonde.)
매일 저녁에 개랑 산책해요. → I take a walk with a dog every evening.
(maeil jeonyeoge gaerang sanchaekhaeyo.)
이웃집 개가 시끄럽게 짖고 있어요. → The neighbor’s dog is barking loudly.
(iutjip gaega sikkeureopge jitgo isseoyo.)
말을 타본 적이 있어요? → Have you ever ridden a horse?
(mareul tabon jeoki isseoyo?)
그들은 경주용 말이에요. → They are racing horses.
(geudeureun gyeongjuyong marieyo.)
하늘에 새들이 날고 있어요. → Birds are flying in the sky.
(haneure saedeuri nalgo isseoyo.)
So today you've learned a lot of different wildlife vocabulary in Korean! Was there one we forgot but you'd like to know? Let us know and we'll add it to the list.
What's your favorite animal? Whether it's a cat, dog, horse, mouse, chicken, or even a snake, see if you can make a Korean sentence with it. Leave it in the comments below and we'll check your Korean!