Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Animals
Every animal you'll want in Greek, from a friendly γάτα (cat) to the χταπόδι (octopus) drying on a taverna line. Read at a glance, hear the sounds, and print the table for the fridge.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pets and household animals | |||
| ζώο | animalgives us 'zoo' in English | ||
| σκύλος | dog | ||
| γάτα | cat | ||
| κουνέλι | rabbit | ||
| χάμστερ | hamster | ||
| πουλί | bird | ||
| ψάρι | fish | ||
| χελώνα | turtle / tortoise | ||
| Farm animals | |||
| άλογο | horse | ||
| αγελάδα | cow | ||
| γουρούνι | pig | ||
| πρόβατο | sheep | ||
| κατσίκα | goat | ||
| γάιδαρος | donkeyyou'll spot these across the islands | ||
| κότα | chicken / hen | ||
| πάπια | duck | ||
| Wild animals | |||
| λιοντάρι | lion | ||
| τίγρης | tiger | ||
| ελέφαντας | elephant | ||
| αρκούδα | bear | ||
| λύκος | wolf | ||
| αλεπού | fox | ||
| μαϊμού | monkey | ||
| φίδι | snake | ||
| ελάφι | deer | ||
| Sea creatures | |||
| δελφίνι | dolphin | ||
| φάλαινα | whale | ||
| καρχαρίας | shark | ||
| χταπόδι | octopusyou'll see this on every taverna menu | ||
| καβούρι | crab | ||
| Insects and creepy-crawlies | |||
| μέλισσα | bee | ||
| πεταλούδα | butterfly | ||
| μυρμήγκι | ant | ||
| αράχνη | spider | ||
| κουνούπι | mosquitosadly frequent in summer | ||
Animals have gender in Greek
Every Greek noun has a gender, and animals are no exception. Once you spot the pattern in the endings, you can usually guess right:
- -ος endings are usually masculine: σκύλος (dog), λύκος (wolf)
- -α and -η endings are usually feminine: γάτα (cat), αρκούδα (bear), χελώνα (turtle)
- -ι and -ο endings are usually neuter: ψάρι (fish), πουλί (bird), άλογο (horse), κουνέλι (rabbit)
So Karim's cat is η γάτα (feminine), his dog is ο σκύλος (masculine), and his goldfish is το ψάρι (neuter). Same story with articles for every noun in Greek.
Greek roots hiding in English
You already know more Greek animal words than you think. A few examples:
- ζώο (zóo), animal, gives us zoo and zoology
- ιππος (ipos), horse (older form), gives us hippopotamus, literally 'river horse'
- ελέφαντας (eléfandas), elephant, is the direct source of the English
- δελφίνι (delfíni), dolphin, same word essentially
- χταπόδι (htapódi) shares roots with the octo- (eight) in octopus
Lin found spotting these links the fastest way to remember new words. If you already know 'hippopotamus', you're halfway to remembering the Greek for horse.
Male, female, and baby animals
Some animals have separate words for male, female, and baby, just like English has cow, bull, and calf. The most common ones:
- σκύλος (male dog) / σκυλίτσα (female dog) / κουτάβι (puppy)
- γάτος (tomcat) / γάτα (female cat) / γατάκι (kitten)
- άλογο (horse) / φοράδα (mare) / πουλάρι (foal)
- κόκορας (rooster) / κότα (hen) / κοτόπουλο (chicken meat, also chick)
In everyday talk, you can usually get away with just the base word. The specific terms come up in farming, cooking, and children's books.
Animals you'll really see in Greece
A few animals turn up so often in Greek daily life that they're worth learning first:
- γάτα, cat, on every wall in every village
- σκύλος, dog, often lounging in the shade of a taverna
- γάιδαρος, donkey, still a working animal on many islands
- κατσίκα, goat, roaming the hillsides
- χταπόδι, octopus, drying on lines outside seafood tavernas
- δελφίνι, dolphin, if you're lucky on a ferry crossing
- κουνούπι, mosquito, less lucky, especially in August
Ayşe learned χταπόδι on her first night in Nafplio and has never forgotten it.
Talking about your pet
A few phrases to try out with your own pet:
- Έχω έναν σκύλο. I have a dog.
- Έχω μία γάτα. I have a cat.
- Ο σκύλος μου λέγεται Ρέξ. My dog is called Rex.
- Αγαπάω τα ζώα. I love animals.
- Πώς λέγεται η γάτα σου; What is your cat's name?
Notice how έχω (I have) is followed by έναν, μία, or ένα depending on the gender of the animal. It's the same one, a, an distinction we saw with colours.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say animal in Greek?+
Ζώο (zóo). The plural is ζώα (zóa). It's the same word English borrowed for zoo and zoology, so once you know one you know the other.
What is the Greek word for dog?+
Σκύλος (skílos) is the standard word for dog. A puppy is κουτάβι (koutávi), a female dog is σκυλίτσα (skilítsa), and dog food is τροφή για σκύλους. In casual speech, you'll also hear σκυλί (skilí) as a slightly softer, neuter form.
How do you say cat in Greek?+
Γάτα (gáta) is the everyday word for cat, and it's feminine. A tomcat is γάτος (gátos), a kitten is γατάκι (gatáki). If you visit Greece, you'll meet many γάτες on every wall and cafe terrace.
Do Greek animals have gender?+
Yes, like every Greek noun. The ending usually tells you: -ος is often masculine (σκύλος), -α and -η are often feminine (γάτα, αρκούδα), -ι and -ο are often neuter (ψάρι, άλογο). The article changes to match: ο, η, or το.
Why do so many English animal words come from Greek?+
Because English took huge amounts of scientific vocabulary from Greek. Hippopotamus, rhinoceros, dinosaur, python, and dolphin are all Greek in origin, so spotting the Greek word inside the English one is one of the fastest ways to build vocabulary.
Practise this in the app
Practise animal vocabulary in the app
Short quizzes on animals, gender drills for every noun, and audio for every word.
Click to start learning Greek