Language/Yue-chinese/Vocabulary/Animals
Hi Yue Chinese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn the names of some common animals in Yue Chinese. Using the vocabulary we learn today, we can describe animals we see in our daily lives, while visiting the zoo or just while watching a movie about animals.
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Drinks, Yue Chinese Vocabulary → Daily Life → Food and Drink, At the Market & Fruits.
Domesticated animals[edit | edit source]
We use domesticated animals in our daily lives. Some examples include:
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 狗 (gau2) | [kɔː˥ ] | dog |
| 貓 (maau1) | [mau˧ ] | cat |
| 兔 (tou3) | [tʰoːt̚˥˧ ] | rabbit |
| 雞 (gai1) | [kɐi˥ ] | chicken |
| 鴨 (aap3) | [aːp̚˥ ] | duck |
| 馬 (maa5) | [maː˥ ] | horse |
| 牛 (ngau4) | [nɐu˥ ] | cow |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: 呢隻狗好可愛，佢係咪你嘅寶貝？(Nei5 zek3 gau2 hou2 ho2 oi3, keoi5 hai6 mai6 nei5 ge3 bou2 baai2?) (This dog is so cute, is it your pet?)
- Person 2: 唔係嘅，佢係隔壁婆婆嘅。(M4 hai6 ge3, keoi5 hai6 gaak3 bei6 po4 po4 ge3.) (No，It belongs to my neighbor.)
Wild animals[edit | edit source]
Yue Chinese also has many words for wild animals that we might see at the zoo or when we go on a safari.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 獅 (si1) | [siː˥ ] | lion |
| 虎 (fu2) | [fʊː˥ ] | tiger |
| 熊 (hung4) | [hʊŋ˥˧ ] | bear |
| 猴 (hau4) | [hɐu˩ ] | monkey |
| 豹 (baau3) | [pɐu˩ ] | leopard |
| 狐 (wu4) | [wu˩ ] | fox |
| 豬 (zyu1) | [t͡sỳː ] | pig |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: 呢度有冇獅或虎？(Nei5 dou6 jau5 mou5 si1 waak6 fu2?) (Are there lions or tigers here?)
- Person 2: 有呀，萬獸山入面就有。(Jau5 aa3, maan6 sau3 saan1 jap6 min6 zau6 jau5.) (Yes, there are inside the Ten Thousand Animal Mountain.)
Marine animals[edit | edit source]
Yue Chinese also has many words for marine animals that we might see at the aquarium or at the beach.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 魚 (jyu4) | [jyː˥ ] | fish |
| 鯊魚 (saa1 jyu4) | [sɑ ː jyː˥ ] | shark |
| 海豚 (hoi2 tyun4) | [hɔːi˥ tyːn˥ ] | dolphin |
| 海星 (hoi2 sing1) | [hɔːi˥ sɪŋ˥ ] | starfish |
| 海龜 (hoi2 gwai1) | [hɔːi˥ kʷɐy˥ ] | turtle |
| 海螺 (hoi2 lo4) | [hɔːi˥ lɔː˧˥ ] | conch |
| 海馬 (hoi2 maa5) | [hɔːi˥ máː ] | seahorse |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: 魚缸入面有冇鯊魚？(Jyu4 gong1 jap6 min6 jau5 mou5 saa1 jyu4?) (Are there any sharks in the fish tank?)
- Person 2: 唔係咖啡豆，鯊魚唔係適合係魚缸入面嘅。(M4 hai6 aa4 fe1 dau2, saa1 jyu4 m4 hai6 sik1 hap6 hai6 jyu4 gong1 jap6 min6 ge3.) (No, aquariums are not suitable for sharks.)
Insects[edit | edit source]
Let's also learn about some insects that we may come across.
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 蝴蝶 (wu4 dip6) | [wu˨˩ tip̚˥ ] | butterfly |
| 蜜蜂 (mat6 fung1) | [mɐt̚˥ fʊŋ˥ ] | bee |
| 蜘蛛 (zi1 zyu1) | [tsɐi˥ t͡ʃỳː] | spider |
| 螞蟻 (maa5 ji5) | [maː˥˧ jiː˩ ] | ant |
| 蟑螂 (zoeng1 long4) | [tsœŋ˥ lɔŋ˥ ] | cockroach |
| 蝸牛 (wo1 ngau4) | [wɔː˧ ngɐu˥ ] | snail |
| 蚊子 (man1 zi2) | [mɐn˥ tsɐi˨˩] | mosquito |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: 條蜜蜂跑咗進屋，點算好？(TiU4 mat6 fung1 paau2 zo2 zeon3 uk1, dim2 syun3 hou2?) (A bee flew into my house, what should I do?)
- Person 2: 唔想死，盡快開門放佢出去。(M4 soeng2 sei2, zeon6 faai3 hoi1 mun4 fong3 keoi5 ceot1 heoi3.) (Don't want to kill it, open the door and let it out as soon as possible.)
I hope you enjoyed learning these new vocabulary words! Practice them with friends, family, or any native speaker you may find. To further improve your vocabulary and language skills, check out the Yue Chinese Vocabulary section on Polyglot Club. 😊
➡ 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[edit | edit source]
- Feelings and Emotions
- Family
- Languages 語言
- Food
- How to Say Hello and Greetings
- Education
- Geography
- Drinks
- How to say Good Bye?
- Months of the Year