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65 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.


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 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

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

La fourmi ➔ Ant

La gazelle ➔ Gazelle

La girafe ➔ Giraffe

Le gorille ➔ Gorilla

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 poisson ➔ Fish

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

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.


*List of animal words last updated: November 29, 2024.



Next Up

Colors in French: Learn how to say color words in French.


Perhaps you want to learn animal words in these other languages?

French, German, Hawaiian, Japanese, Malay, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish.


The Fine Print

I don't speak French myself, so there could be mistakes in the translations. Most of what is here is user-submitted, but I do try to check for accuracy and make corrections as I can. Thanks for your understanding.



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