Language/Swedish/Vocabulary/Animal

Here's how to talk about animals in Swedish with words, idioms and songs.

Words

English	Swedish
animals	djur
bear	björn
cat	katt
cow	ko
dog	hund
donkey	åsna
fish	fisk
horse	häst
lion	lejon
monkey	apa
mouse	mus
rabbit	kanin
snake	orm
spider	spindel
owl	uggla
wolf	varg
fox	räv
pig	gris
hen	höna
rooster	tupp
worm	mask
ladybug	nyckelpiga
beetle	skalbagge
rat	råtta
bird	fågel
whale	val
seal	säl
ape	apa
rhino	noshörning
unicorn	enhörning
tiger	tiger
eagle	örn
chicken	kyckling
shrimp	räka
bull	tjur
deer	rådjur
elk	älg
reindeer	ren
sheep	får
ram	bagge
goat	get
panther	panter
ox	oxe

Expressions using animal words

Det ligger en hund begraven här

• Literally: There is a dog buried here
• Meaning: Something isn't quite right, "Something smells fishy".

Ana ugglor i mossen

• Literally: Suspect owls in the bog
• Meaning: This is the same meaning as the expression "Det ligger en hund begraven här". Something isn't quite right.

Gå som katten kring het gröt

• Literally: Go like a cat around the bush
• Meaning: to beat around the bush, avoid talking of something unpleasant

Songs

Imse vimse spindel

A popular song for children about a spider (spindel):

Swedish Lyrics

Imse-vimse spindel

Imse-vimse spindel, klättrar upp för trå'n

Ner faller regnet, spolar spindeln bort

Upp stiger solen, torkar bort allt regn

Imse-vimse spindel, klättrar upp igen

English translation

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider

The itsy-bitsy spider went up the waterspout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out

Up came the sun and dried up all the rain

And the itsybitsy spider went up the spout again.