Do you know how to talk about animals in Korean?
It’s fun to talk about your favorite wildlife when you learn Korean. So let’s boost our Korean vocabulary and learn the words for all the different creatures.
We’ve made it easy by putting together a list of important words and examples for you.
Let’s get rolling!
Here is a free PDF guide that you can download and take with you:
Contents
Dogs, cats, snakes, horses, what do all these words have in common? They’re all animals, and they’re all fun to talk about in Korean.
The words in this lesson are all written in both Hangeul (Korean Alphabet) and romanized English. You’ll be able to learn Korean much faster if you know the alphabet, and you can learn how to read before your next meal.
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
| Pets in Korean | English |
|---|---|
| dog | |
| puppy | |
| cat | |
| bird | |
| 물고기 (mulgogi) | fish |
| rabbit | |
| 햄스터 (haemseuteo) | hamster |
| 기니피그 (ginipigeu) | guinea pig |
Farm Animals in Korean
| Farm Animals in Korean | English |
|---|---|
| horse | |
| 조랑말 (jorangmal) | pony |
| cow | |
| mouse | |
| pig | |
| 염소 (yeomso) | goat |
| sheep | |
| butterfly | |
| 닭 (dak) | chicken |
| 게 (ge) | crab |
| 바닷가재 (badatgajae) | lobster |
| 칠면조 (chilmyeonjo) | turkey |
Forest Animals in Korean
| Forest Animals in Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 늑대 (neukdae) | wolf |
| 사슴 (saseum) | deer |
| 황소 (hwangso) | ox |
| 코뿔소 (koppulso) | rhinoceros |
| 너구리 (neoguri) | raccoon |
| 여우 (yeou) | fox |
| 산토끼 (santokki) | hare |
| 오소리 (osori) | badger |
| bear | |
| 다람쥐 (daramjwi) | squirrel |
| hippo | |
| 판다 (panda) | panda |
Aquatic Animals in Korean
| Aquatic in Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 고래 (gorae) | whale |
| 거북이 (geobuki) | turtle |
| 악어 (ageo) | crocodile |
| frog | |
| 물개 (mulgae) | seal |
| 수달 (sudal) | otter |
| 돌고래 (dolgorae) | dolphin |
| 상어 (sangeo) | shark |
| squid | |
| 문어 (muneo) | octopus |
| 잉어 (ingeo) | carp |
| 고등어 (godeungeo) | mackerel |
| 장어 (jangeo) | eel |
| 가오리 (gaori) | stingray |
Birds in Korean
| Birds in Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 앵무새 (aengmusae) | parrot |
| 까치 (kkaji) | magpie |
| 참새 (chamsae) | sparrow |
| 까마귀 (kkamagwi) | crow |
| 공작 (gongjak) | peacock |
| 비둘기 (bidulgi) | dove |
| 펭귄 (penggwin) | penguin |
| 타조 (tajo) | ostrich |
| 두루미 (durumi) | crane |
| 백조 (baekjo) | swan |
| 독수리 (doksuri) | eagle |
| 갈매기 (galmaegi) | gull |
| duck | |
| 거위 (geowi) | goose |
| 매 (mae) | hawk |
Various Wild Animals in Korean
| Various Wild Animals in Korean | English |
|---|---|
| lion | |
| tiger | |
| 고릴라 (gorilla) | gorilla |
| monkey | |
| 침팬지 (chimpaenji) | chimpanzee |
| 오랑우탄 (orangutan) | orangutan |
| 얼룩말 (eollukmal) | zebra |
| 표범 (pyobeom) | leopard |
| 치타 (chita) | cheetah |
| elephant | |
| giraffe | |
| 뱀 (baem) | snake |
| camel | |
| 하이에나 (haiena) | hyena |
| 영양 (yeongyang) | antelope |
| 들소 (deulso) | bison |
| 물소 (mulso) | water buffalo |
| 북극곰 (bukgeukgom) | polar bear |
| 코알라 (koalla) | koala |
| 도마뱀 (domabaem) | lizard |
| 캥거루 (kaengeoru) | kangaroo |
| 달팽이 (dalpaengi) | snail |
| mosquito | |
| ant | |
| bee |
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? (jeil joahaneun dongmureun mwoyeyo?)
What is your favorite animal?
내 제일 좋아하는 동물은 판다야. (nae jeil joahaneun dongmureun pandaya.)
My favorite animal is panda.
그 동물원에서 북극곰도 있던데. (geu dongmulwoneseo bukgeukgomdo itdeonde.)
That zoo has polar bears as well.
매일 저녁에 개랑 산책해요. (maeil jeonyeoge gaerang sanchaekhaeyo.)
I take a walk with a dog every evening.
이웃집 개가 시끄럽게 짖고 있어요. (iutjip gaega sikkeureopge jitgo isseoyo.)
The neighbor’s dog is barking loudly.
말을 타본 적이 있어요? (mareul tabon jeoki isseoyo?)
Have you ever ridden a horse?
그들은 경주용 말이에요. (geudeureun gyeongjuyong marieyo.)
They are racing horses.
하늘에 새들이 날고 있어요. (haneure saedeuri nalgo isseoyo.)
Birds are flying in the sky.
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!
