RemloriStart free

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

Korean animal words with pictures, audio and a quiz

Learn 11 animal words from our free first chapter. Read the Hangul, listen, then try remembering the meaning.

개 (gae) means dog; 강아지 (gangaji) usually means puppy, and is also used affectionately for dogs. 새 (sae) is bird; 오리 (ori) is duck. Learn the general term and the more specific one separately.

Listen and learn the words

소 · cow

so

Picture and sound mnemonic
A giant can of soda sprays a jet of fizzy blue liquid at a startled black-and-white cow, pushing it backward.
A giant can of Soda shoots a high-pressure jet of fizzy blue liquid, blasting a startled Cow backward.

소 (so) → Soda

말 · horse

mal

Picture and sound mnemonic
A red-haired baby rides a springy desk lamp clamped onto the back of a galloping brown horse.
A red-haired baby shouting Ma rides a springy desk Lamp clamped onto the back of a galloping Horse.

마 (ma) → Ma + ㄹ (l) → Lamp

모기 · mosquito

mogi

Picture and sound mnemonic
A motorcycle leaps through the hollow center of a huge spinning gear, chasing a big cartoon mosquito.
A Motorcycle smashes into a spinning Gear, chasing a buzzing Mosquito.

모 (mo) → Motorcycle + 기 (gi) → Gear

거미 · spider

geomi

Picture and sound mnemonic
A bubble of pink gum is stuck to a falling meteor; a black spider dangles from it on a silk thread.
A bubble of Gum sticks to a falling Meteor, and a Spider rides it down on a silk thread.

거 (geo) → Gum + 미 (mi) → Meteor

오리 · duck

ori

Picture and sound mnemonic
A big green ogre relaxes in a bathtub reading a picture book aloud to a little yellow duck floating beside him.
An Ogre lounges in a bathtub to Read a picture book aloud to a little yellow Duck.

오 (o) → Ogre + 리 (ri) → Read

사자 · lion

saja

Picture and sound mnemonic
A bowl of salsa splashes onto a puffy winter jacket zipped tightly around a roaring lion.
A bowl of Salsa splashes onto a winter Jacket zipped tightly around a roaring Lion.

사 (sa) → Salsa + 자 (ja) → Jacket

하마 · hippo

hama

Picture and sound mnemonic
A big plush red heart bounces off a baby, while a huge hippo yawns behind her.
A big plush Heart bounces off a baby, who cries Ma as a Hippo yawns right behind her.

하 (ha) → Heart + 마 (ma) → Ma

개 · dog

gae

Picture and sound mnemonic
A green gecko rides on the back of a happy, panting dog.
A green Gecko rides on the back of a happy, panting Dog.

개 (gae) → Gecko

고양이 · cat

goyangi

Picture and sound mnemonic
A karate master chops a green traffic light, knocking a little ping-pong ball into an eagle's nest where a cat hides.
A traffic light flashes Go; a red panda in a karate gi chops it with a loud Yah, sending a little ping-pong ball off with a bright Ping into an eagle's nest, where a Cat is hiding.

고 (go) → Go + 야 (ya) → Yah + ㅇ (ng) → Ping + 이 (i) → Eagle

강아지 · puppy

gangaji

Picture and sound mnemonic
A bulb of garlic flicks a little ping-pong ball off a suit of armor into a pair of jeans where a puppy naps.
A bulb of Garlic flicks a little ping-pong ball that bounces with a bright Ping off a suit of Armor and into a pair of Jeans, where a Puppy is napping.

가 (ga) → Garlic + ㅇ (ng) → Ping + 아 (a) → Armor + 지 (ji) → Jeans

새 · bird

sae

Picture and sound mnemonic
A small blue bird sings while perched on a tall stalk of celery.
A tall stalk of Celery makes a perfect perch for a singing Bird.

새 (sae) → Celery

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 소 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    cow — 소 (so) — cow. A giant can of SODA shoots a high-pressure jet of fizzy blue liquid, blasting a startled COW backward.

  2. What does 말 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    horse — 말 (mal) — horse. A red-haired baby shouting MA rides a springy desk LAMP clamped onto the back of a galloping HORSE.

  3. What does 모기 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    mosquito — 모기 (mogi) — mosquito. A MOTORCYCLE smashes into a spinning GEAR, chasing a buzzing MOSQUITO.

  4. What does 거미 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    spider — 거미 (geomi) — spider. A bubble of GUM sticks to a falling METEOR, and a SPIDER rides it down on a silk thread.

  5. What does 오리 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    duck — 오리 (ori) — duck. An OGRE lounges in a bathtub to READ a picture book aloud to a little yellow DUCK.

  6. What does 사자 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    lion — 사자 (saja) — lion. A bowl of SALSA splashes onto a winter JACKET zipped tightly around a roaring LION.

  7. What does 하마 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    hippo — 하마 (hama) — hippo. A big plush HEART bounces off a baby, who cries MA as a HIPPO yawns right behind her.

  8. What does 개 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    dog — 개 (gae) — dog. A green GECKO rides on the back of a happy, panting DOG.

  9. What does 고양이 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    cat — 고양이 (goyangi) — cat. A traffic light flashes GO; a red panda in a karate gi chops it with a loud YAH, sending a little ping-pong ball off with a bright PING into an EAGLE's nest, where a CAT is hiding.

  10. What does 강아지 mean?
    Answer and explanation

    puppy — 강아지 (gangaji) — puppy. A bulb of GARLIC flicks a little ping-pong ball that bounces with a bright PING off a suit of ARMOR and into a pair of JEANS, where a PUPPY is napping.

Next: Korean reading practice · Food and drink vocabulary

Written by Remlori using examples and media from our beginner course. Alphabet reference: National Institute of Korean Language, Hangul principles. Romanization approximates the sound; use the recordings when practising.

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

Start Korean Lesson 1