75 French Animal Words
This page contains our extensive list of French animal names. To get you started, we have a couple of lists for "free" and "almost free" animal words - these lists provide translations for animals that are either the same or very similar in both languages.
Following these two first lists, you will find our long list of animal names from A to Z, and then some example sentences with animal names to help you see how to use the words in everyday conversation.
French Animal Names:
Words in bold added during the last update. You can also view this list of animal names from English to French.
Quick Links:
Free Animal Words
Almost Free Animal Names
French Animal Words A-Z
Sentences with Animal Names
Free Animal Words
All you need to do is remember whether they are masculine (le, as most of them are) or feminine (la). Here is the list of some of the "free" French animal names.
L'alligator (m) ➔ Alligator
Le crocodile ➔ Crocodile
La gazelle ➔ Gazelle
Le hamster ➔ Hamster
Le jaguar ➔ Jaguar
Le koala ➔ Koala
Le lion ➔ Lion
Le panda ➔ Panda
Le pigeon ➔ Pigeon
Le piranha ➔ Piranha
Le rat ➔ Rat
Le toucan ➔ Toucan
Congratulations! You now know eleven French animal names!
Almost Free Animal Names
Now then comes the "almost free" French animal names. These words are very similar between the French and the English translations, that so long as you can remember a small change or two and their proper gender, you should have no trouble remembering these additional French animals.
L'antilope (f) ➔ Antelope
L'armadille (f) ➔ Armadillo
Le canari ➔ Canary
Le chimpanzé ➔ Chimpanzee
Le crabe ➔ Crab
L'éléphant (m) ➔ Elephant
La girafe ➔ Giraffe
Le gorille ➔ Gorilla
L'hippopotame (m) ➔ Hippopotamus
L'iguane (m) ➔ Iguana
L'insecte (m) ➔ Insect
Le lama ➔ Llama
Le léopard ➔ Leopard
Le lézard ➔ Lizard
L'orang-outang (m) ➔ Orangutan
Le rhinocéros ➔ Rhinoceros
Le tigre ➔ Tiger
Le zèbra ➔ Zebra
There's another eighteen animal words that should be fairly simple for you to remember. Please see below for our full list of French animal names.
French Animal Words A-Z
("Le" animals are masculine, "La" animals are feminine. Animals starting with "L'" have a (m) or (f) to denote gender.)
L'agneau (m) ➔ Lamb
L'alligator (m) ➔ Alligator
L'alpaga (m.) ➔ Alpaca
L'âne (m) ➔ Donkey
L'antilope (f) ➔ Antelope
L'armadille (f) ➔ Armadillo
La baleine ➔ Whale
Le canard ➔ Duck
Le canari ➔ Canary
Le cerf ➔ Deer
Le chameau ➔ Camel
Le chat ➔ Cat
Le chaton ➔ Kitten
Le cheval ➔ Horse
La chèvre ➔ Goat
Le chien ➔ Dog
Le chimpanzé ➔ Chimpanzee
Le chiot ➔ Puppy
Le cochon ➔ Pig
Le coq ➔ Rooster
Le crabe ➔ Crab
Le crocodile ➔ Crocodile
Le cygne ➔ Swan
Le dauphin ➔ Dolphin
Le dindon ➔ Turkey
L'éléphant (m) ➔ Elephant
L'étoile de mer (f) ➔ Starfish
La fourmi ➔ Ant
La gazelle ➔ Gazelle
La girafe ➔ Giraffe
Le gorille ➔ Gorilla
Le grand requin blanc ➔ Great white shark
Le hamster ➔ Hamster
Le hibou ➔ Owl
L'hippocampe (m) ➔ Seahorse
L'hippopotame (m) ➔ Hippopotamus
L'iguane (m) ➔ Iguana
L'insecte (m) ➔ Insect
Le jaguar ➔ Jaguar
Le koala ➔ Koala
Le lama ➔ Llama
Le lapin ➔ Rabbit
Le léopard ➔ Leopard
Le lézard ➔ Lizard
Le lion ➔ Lion
Le loup ➔ Wolf
La méduse ➔ Jellyfish
Le mouton ➔ Sheep
Le morse ➔ Walrus
L'oie ➔ Goose
L'oiseau (m) ➔ Bird
L'orang-outang (m) ➔ Orangutan
L'ours (m) ➔ Bear
Le panda ➔ Panda
Le papillon ➔ Butterfly
La pieuvre ➔ Octopus
Le pigeon ➔ Pigeon
Le piranha ➔ Piranha
Le poisson ➔ Fish
Le poisson-lion ➔ Lionfish
Le poisson rouge ➔ Goldfish
Le poulet ➔ Chicken
Le rat ➔ Rat
Le requin ➔ Shark
Le rhinocéros ➔ Rhinoceros
Le serpent ➔ Snake
Le singe ➔ Ape
Le singe ➔ Monkey
La souris ➔ Mouse
Le tigre ➔ Tiger
La tortue ➔ Turtle
La tortue marine ➔ Sea Turtle
Le toucan ➔ Toucan
La vache ➔ Cow
Le zèbra ➔ Zebra
Sentences with Animal Names
And here's a few sentences to show you some of these French animal words in action.
Aimeriez vous acheter de moi quelque cheveux voles? ➔ Would you like to buy some stolen horses from me?
J'aime faire du cheval. ➔ I like to go horseback riding.
J'etais un canard. Mais, les canards sont tres tres stupid, ainsi j'ai change ➔ I used to be a duck. But ducks are very very stupid, so I changed.
Mon petit-ami est le poisson dans l'ocean d'atlantique. ➔ My boyfriend is a fish in the atlantic ocean.
This list of French animal words was last updated on April 5, 2025.
Next Up
Colors in French: Learn how to say color words in French.
Perhaps you want to learn animal words in these other languages?
Bengali, Bosnian, Burmese, French, German, Hawaiian, Japanese, Malay, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish.
The Fine Print