RemloriStart free

Remlori › Japanese › Japanese animal words with pictures, audio and a quiz

Japanese animal words with pictures, audio and a quiz

Learn 15 animal words from our free first chapter. Read the hiragana, listen, then try remembering the meaning.

とり (tori) means bird; からす (karasu) names a crow. さかな (sakana) is fish, and さめ (same) names a shark. Learn the general term and the more specific one separately.

Listen and learn the words

ねこ · cat

neko

Picture and sound mnemonic
A soccer NET scoops up an ice-cream CONE so hard that a purple CAT pops out of the top.
A soccer Net scoops up an ice-cream Cone so hard that a purple Cat pops out of the top.

ね (ne) → Net + こ (ko) → Cone

たこ · octopus

tako

Picture and sound mnemonic
Balancing a crunchy TACO in one arm and a pink ice cream CONE in the other, a purple OCTOPUS stretches its tongue right across to lick the ice cream.
Balancing a crunchy Taco in one arm and a pink ice cream Cone in the other, a purple Octopus stretches its tongue right across to lick the ice cream.

た (ta) → Taco + こ (ko) → Cone

わに · crocodile

wani

Picture and sound mnemonic
A syrupy waffle rests on one scraped bent knee. The single continuous leg extends into one foot pressing a startled crocodile’s snout.
With a Waffle stuck to its scraped Knee, a leg kicks out at a crocodile's snout.

わ (wa) → Waffle + に (ni) → Knee

かめ · turtle

kame

Picture and sound mnemonic
A tiny CAR crashes into a giant MELON, popping out a startled TURTLE.
A tiny Car crashes into a giant Melon, popping out a startled Turtle.

か (ka) → Car + め (me) → Melon

とら · tiger

tora

Picture and sound mnemonic
One swollen red-tipped bandaged toe presses a white llama cheek as a tiger flies from its open mouth. Warm yellow cartoon background.
A bandaged Toe presses a llama’s cheek, making it spit out a Tiger.

と (to) → Toe + ら (ra) → Llama

かに · crab

kani

Picture and sound mnemonic
A tiny red car climbs a bent giant knee. A red crab pinches its front bumper.
A tiny Car drives up a giant Knee, where its bumper is pinched by a Crab.

か (ka) → Car + に (ni) → Knee

さめ · shark

same

Picture and sound mnemonic
A salsa bowl spills red salsa onto the head of a shark leaping above water; a melon is wedged between its open jaws.
A bowl of Salsa tips above a Melon wedged between the teeth of a startled Shark.

さ (sa) → Salsa + め (me) → Melon

さかな · fish

sakana

Picture and sound mnemonic
A blue salsa bowl pours over a small red car. Walking nachos sit on its horn and a large orange fish gapes beside its bumper.
Salsa spills over a Car loaded with walking Nachos, and a Fish leaps up, mouth wide, to catch the drips.

さ (sa) → Salsa + か (ka) → Car + な (na) → Nachos

からす · crow

karasu

Picture and sound mnemonic
A tiny CAR rides a LLAMA splashing hot SOUP onto a huge CROW.
A tiny Car rides a Llama splashing hot Soup onto a huge Crow.

か (ka) → Car + ら (ra) → Llama + す (su) → Soup

かい · shellfish

kai

Picture and sound mnemonic
A red CAR honks, startling a bald EAGLE that is prying open a giant SHELLFISH on its hood.
A red Car honks, startling a bald Eagle that is prying open a giant Shellfish on its hood.

か (ka) → Car + い (i) → Eagle

くま · bear

kuma

Picture and sound mnemonic
An open-mouthed baby riding a bear holds a pigeon with an open beak. Sunny garden background.
A pigeon goes Coo in the arms of a baby calling Ma as they ride off on a Bear.

く (ku) → Coo + ま (ma) → Ma

うし · cow

ushi

Picture and sound mnemonic
Glowing green OOZE spills onto a dancing woman as SHE slips and crashes into a spotted COW.
Glowing green Ooze spills onto a dancing woman as She slips and crashes into a spotted Cow.

う (u) → Ooze + し (shi) → She

せみ · cicada

semi

Picture and sound mnemonic
A celery character rides a flaming dark meteor into a branch beside a cicada.
Celery rides a flaming Meteor that strikes a branch beside a buzzing Cicada.

せ (se) → Celery + み (mi) → Meteor

とり · bird

tori

Picture and sound mnemonic
A giant toe presses an open book as a colorful parrot bursts from flying pages.
A Toe stamps the book I am trying to Read, sending a Bird flying out of its pages.

と (to) → Toe + り (ri) → Read

かえる · frog

kaeru

Picture and sound mnemonic
A runaway CAR rams an ELEPHANT, launching a ROOSTER from its trunk onto a giant, grinning green FROG.
A runaway Car rams an Elephant, launching a Rooster from its trunk onto a giant, grinning green Frog.

か (ka) → Car + え (e) → Elephant + る (ru) → Rooster

Use a picture, then check recall

Read one picture and follow the sound cues in order. Close it, say the word and recall its meaning. A cue is an approximate memory hook; the recording supplies the pronunciation.

Test these words

Choose a mode and a group. Each round has up to ten questions. Wrong answers go into a retry round.

Try these questions, then open the answers. The interactive version needs JavaScript.

  1. What does ねこ mean?
    Answer and explanation

    cat — ねこ (neko) — cat. A soccer NET scoops up an ice-cream CONE so hard that a purple CAT pops out of the top.

  2. What does たこ mean?
    Answer and explanation

    octopus — たこ (tako) — octopus. Balancing a crunchy TACO in one arm and a pink ice cream CONE in the other, a purple OCTOPUS stretches its tongue right across to lick the ice cream.

  3. What does わに mean?
    Answer and explanation

    crocodile — わに (wani) — crocodile. With a WAFFLE stuck to its scraped KNEE, a leg kicks out at a CROCODILE's snout.

  4. What does かめ mean?
    Answer and explanation

    turtle — かめ (kame) — turtle. A tiny CAR crashes into a giant MELON, popping out a startled TURTLE.

  5. What does とら mean?
    Answer and explanation

    tiger — とら (tora) — tiger. A bandaged TOE presses a LLAMA’s cheek, making it spit out a TIGER.

  6. What does かに mean?
    Answer and explanation

    crab — かに (kani) — crab. A tiny CAR drives up a giant KNEE, where its bumper is pinched by a CRAB.

  7. What does さめ mean?
    Answer and explanation

    shark — さめ (same) — shark. A bowl of SALSA tips above a MELON wedged between the teeth of a startled SHARK.

  8. What does さかな mean?
    Answer and explanation

    fish — さかな (sakana) — fish. SALSA spills over a CAR loaded with walking NACHOS, and a FISH leaps up, mouth wide, to catch the drips.

  9. What does からす mean?
    Answer and explanation

    crow — からす (karasu) — crow. A tiny CAR rides a LLAMA splashing hot SOUP onto a huge CROW.

  10. What does かい mean?
    Answer and explanation

    shellfish — かい (kai) — shellfish. A red CAR honks, startling a bald EAGLE that is prying open a giant SHELLFISH on its hood.

Next: Japanese reading practice · Food and drink vocabulary

Written by Remlori using examples and media from our beginner course. Alphabet reference: The Japan Foundation, Irodori Starter. Romanization approximates the sound; use the recordings when practising.

Learn your first sounds, words and sentences. Lesson 1 needs no account.

Start Japanese Lesson 1