Wild Animals in Chinese 野生动物
yěshēng dòngwù
Wild animals in Chinese is 野生动物 (yě shēng dòng wù).
Also searched for as: zoo animals, lion tiger, panda.
Who lives out in the wild? 15 essential wild animals words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Wild animals in Chinese are 野生动物 (yě shēng dòng wù), literally 'animals living in the wild', a phrase you'll see on zoo signs and in nature programmes. Many names are vivid descriptions: the 长颈鹿 (cháng jǐng lù), giraffe, is the 'long-necked deer', the 斑马 (bān mǎ), zebra, is the 'striped horse', and the 猫头鹰 (māo tóu yīng), owl, is the 'cat-headed eagle'.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 野生动物 | yě shēng dòng wù | wild animal |
| 狼 | láng | wolf |
| 狐狸 | hú li | fox |
| 熊 | xióng | bear |
| 鹿 | lù | deer |
| 长颈鹿 | cháng jǐng lù | giraffe |
| 斑马 | bān mǎ | zebra |
| 袋鼠 | dài shǔ | kangaroo |
| 骆驼 | luò tuo | camel |
| 鳄鱼 | è yú | crocodile |
| 松鼠 | sōng shǔ | squirrel |
| 蝙蝠 | biān fú | bat |
| 老鹰 | lǎo yīng | eagle |
| 猫头鹰 | māo tóu yīng | owl |
| 河马 | hé mǎ | hippo |
Usage tips
- Several names contain 鼠 (shǔ), mouse: 松鼠 (sōng shǔ), squirrel, is a 'pine mouse', and 袋鼠 (dài shǔ), kangaroo, is a 'pouch mouse'.
- Animal words have colloquial uses: 老狐狸 (lǎo hú li), 'old fox', describes a crafty person, and 熊孩子 (xióng hái zi), 'bear child', is a badly behaved kid.
- In Taiwan the panda is often called 猫熊 (māo xióng), 'cat bear', while the mainland uses 熊猫 (xióng māo); both are understood.
Common mistakes
- Shortening 野生动物 to 野动物 → keep the full phrase 野生动物 (yě shēng dòng wù); a safari-style park is a 野生动物园 (yě shēng dòng wù yuán).
- Pronouncing 鼠 in 袋鼠 as shù → it's third tone, 袋鼠 (dài shǔ); shù is the sound of 树, tree.
Mini dialogue
- A你去过野生动物园吗？Nǐ qù guo yě shēng dòng wù yuán ma?Have you ever been to a safari park?
- B去过，我在那里看到了长颈鹿和斑马。Qù guo, wǒ zài nà lǐ kàn dào le cháng jǐng lù hé bān mǎ.Yes, I saw giraffes and zebras there.
- A有没有狼或者熊？Yǒu méi yǒu láng huò zhě xióng?Were there any wolves or bears?
- B有熊，可是它一直在睡觉。Yǒu xióng, kě shì tā yī zhí zài shuì jiào.There was a bear, but it slept the whole time.
Example sentences
- 我们要保护野生动物。We need to protect wildlife.
- 晚上能听到狼叫。You can hear wolves howling at night.
- 狐狸很聪明。Foxes are clever.
- 山里有熊。There are bears in the mountains.
- 公园里有几只鹿。There are a few deer in the park.
- 长颈鹿的脖子很长。Giraffes have long necks.
- 斑马是黑白的。Zebras are black and white.
- 袋鼠在澳大利亚。Kangaroos live in Australia.
- 骆驼可以在沙漠里走很远。Camels can walk a long way in the desert.
- 鳄鱼的牙齿很尖。Crocodiles have sharp teeth.
- 树上有一只松鼠。There's a squirrel in the tree.
- 蝙蝠晚上出来。Bats come out at night.
- 老鹰飞得很高。Eagles fly very high.
- 猫头鹰白天睡觉。Owls sleep during the day.
- 河马喜欢待在水里。Hippos like being in the water.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Wild animals speaking island has 8 everyday questions about wild animals to prepare your own answers to.