Language/French/Vocabulary/Animals

French Vocabulary - Animals

Hi French learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will learn French vocabulary about animals. As an intermediate learner, it is important to expand your vocabulary and be able to communicate more effectively. French culture and history are deeply intertwined with its fauna, so let's dive into the animal kingdom! 🦁🐘🐳

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: French Vocabulary → Hobbies and Interests → Music and ..., Martial Arts, Idiomatic Expressions & Ouvrir.

Basic vocabulary

Before we start, let's review some basic vocabulary about animals.

French	Pronunciation	English
Animal	/a.ni.mal/	Animal

As you can see, animal in French is "animal" (pronounced /a.ni.mal/).

Domestic Animals

Let's start with the animals you are probably most familiar with: domestic animals. These animals are bred for companionship or to produce food, such as milk or meat.

Cats and Dogs

Cats and dogs are the most common pets in France.

French	Pronunciation	English
Chat	/ʃa/	Cat
Chien	/ʃjɛ̃/	Dog

• Person 1: J'aime les chats. (I love cats.)
• Person 2: Moi aussi! J'ai deux chats. (Me too! I have two cats.)
• Person 1: Et tu as un chien aussi? (Do you have a dog too?)
• Person 2: Non, je préfère les chats. (No, I prefer cats.)

Birds

Birds can also be kept as pets in cages.

French	Pronunciation	English
Canari	/ka.na.ʁi/	Canary
Perruche	/pɛ.ʁytʃ/	Parakeet

• Person 1: Ma sœur a un canari dans sa chambre. (My sister has a canary in her bedroom.)
• Person 2: C'est joli. J'ai une perruche chez moi. (That's nice. I have a parakeet at home.)

Farm Animals

In the countryside, you will find many farm animals. These animals are bred to produce food, such as meat, milk or eggs.

Poultry

Poultry refers to birds that are bred for their meat or eggs.

French	Pronunciation	English
Poulet	/pu.lɛ/	Chicken
Coq	/kɔk/	Rooster
Canard	/ka.naʁ/	Duck
Oie	/wa/	Goose

• Person 1: Je vais faire une omelette aux œufs de poule. (I'm going to make an omelette with chicken eggs.)
• Person 2: Et si on mangeait du canard à la place? (What if we eat duck instead?)

Cows, Sheep and Pigs

These are some common farm animals.

French	Pronunciation	English
Vache	/vaʃ/	Cow
Mouton	/mu.tɔ̃/	Sheep
Cochon	/kɔ.ʃɔ̃/	Pig

• Person 1: J'adore le fromage de chèvre. (I love goat cheese.)
• Person 2: Moi aussi. Je préfère ça au fromage de vache. (Me too. I prefer it to cow cheese.)

Wild Animals

France is also known for its wildlife. The following animals are often seen in the French wilderness.

Big cats

In the zoo or in the wild, you might encounter one of these big cats.

French	Pronunciation	English
Lion	/li.ɔ̃/	Lion
Tigre	/ti.ɡʁ/	Tiger

• Person 1: Wow, regarde ce magnifique lion. (Wow, look at that magnificent lion.)
• Person 2: Oui, c'est impressionnant. Tu as déjà vu un tigre en vrai? (Yes, it's impressive. Have you ever seen a real tiger?)

Marine life

France is a country surrounded by water, so marine life is an important part of its fauna.

French	Pronunciation	English
Dauphin	/do.fɛ̃/	Dolphin
Baleine	/ba.lɛn/	Whale

• Person 1: Regarde! Des dauphins! (Look! Dolphins!)
• Person 2: Oh c'est trop beau. Tu veux voir des baleines la prochaine fois? (Oh that's so beautiful. Do you want to see whales next time?)

End of the lesson

Well done! You have learned a variety of French vocabulary about animals. To review, visit the Polyglot Club website and find native speakers to practice with. Don't forget to ask them any questions about the material.

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Count to 10
• At Home
• Les 4 saisons
• When use "Mets", "Met", "Mes" or "Mais" in French
• Food
• How to say Hello
• Days of the Week
• Geography
• longest word

Sources

• Les animaux | A Cup of French
• French Animal Names (100+ Vocabulary Words With Pictures)
• French vocabulary list about animals: les animaux