Skip to content

Animals in Italian

79 words, from beginner to advanced. Tap a word to hear it.

Practice these words Download the list (PDF)

Good to know

When naming animals in Italian, grammatical gender does not necessarily tell you the animal's sex. Volpe and Tigre are feminine nouns, even when they refer to males. Gorilla and Panda are masculine nouns despite ending in -a.

Some names do specify sex: Gallo refers to a male chicken, while Gallina refers to an adult female. These are separate words, not forms made by changing a final vowel. Termiti is already plural, so it refers to more than one termite.

  1. Passero /ˈpassero/ il pl. i passeri Sparrow B1Intermediate#
  2. Colomba /koˈlomba/ la pl. le colombe Dove A2Intermediate#
  3. Rondine /ˈrondine/ la pl. le rondini Swallow B1Intermediate#
  4. Criceto /kriˈtʃɛto/ il pl. i criceti Hamster A2Intermediate#
  5. Polpo /ˈpolpo/ il pl. i polpi Octopus A2Intermediate#
  6. Calamaro /kalaˈmaro/ il pl. i calamari Squid A2Intermediate#
  7. Medusa /meˈduza/ la pl. le meduse Jellyfish B1Intermediate#
  8. Pesce /ˈpeʃʃe/ il pl. i pesci Fish A1Elementary#
  9. Cane /ˈkane/ il pl. i cani Dog A1Elementary#
  10. Gatto /ˈɡatto/ il pl. i gatti Cat A1Elementary#
  11. Uccello /utˈtʃɛllo/ l' pl. gli uccelli Bird A1Elementary#
  12. Cavallo /kaˈvallo/ il pl. i cavalli Horse A1Elementary#
  13. Mucca /ˈmukka/ la pl. le mucche Cow A1Elementary#
  14. Pecora /ˈpɛkora/ la pl. le pecore Sheep A2Elementary#
  15. Maiale /maˈjale/ il pl. i maiali Pig A2Elementary#
  16. Gallina /ɡalˈlina/ la pl. le galline Hen A2Elementary#
  17. Topo /ˈtɔpo/ il pl. i topi Mouse A1Elementary#
  18. Zanzara /dzanˈdzara/ la pl. le zanzare Mosquito A2Elementary#
  19. Merlo /ˈmɛrlo/ il pl. i merli Blackbird B1Advanced#
  20. Daino /ˈdaino/ il pl. i daini Fallow deer B2Advanced#
  21. Coleottero /koleˈɔttero/ il pl. i coleotteri Beetle B2Advanced#
  22. Mantide religiosa /ˈmantide reliˈdʒoza/ la pl. le mantidi religiose Praying mantis B2Advanced#
  23. Coniglio /koˈniʎʎo/ il pl. i conigli Rabbit A2Elementary#
  24. Anatra /ˈanatra/ l' pl. le anatre Duck A2Elementary#
  25. Orso /ˈorso/ l' pl. gli orsi Bear A2Elementary#
  26. Leone /leˈone/ il pl. i leoni Lion A1Elementary#
  27. Elefante /eleˈfante/ l' pl. gli elefanti Elephant A1Elementary#
  28. Scimmia /ˈʃimmja/ la pl. le scimmie Monkey A2Elementary#
  29. Tartaruga /tartaˈruɡa/ la pl. le tartarughe Turtle A2Elementary#
  30. Gambero /ˈɡambero/ il pl. i gamberi Shrimp A2Intermediate#
  31. Vespa /ˈvɛspa/ la pl. le vespe Wasp B1Intermediate#
  32. Pulce /ˈpultʃe/ la pl. le pulci Flea B1Intermediate#
  33. Zecca /ˈtsekka/ la pl. le zecche Tick B2Intermediate#
  34. Serpente /serˈpɛnte/ il pl. i serpenti Snake A2Elementary#
  35. Farfalla /farˈfalla/ la pl. le farfalle Butterfly A2Elementary#
  36. Ape /ˈape/ l' pl. le api Bee A2Elementary#
  37. Ragno /ˈraɲɲo/ il pl. i ragni Spider A2Elementary#
  38. Capra /ˈkapra/ la pl. le capre Goat A2Elementary#
  39. Gallo /ˈɡallo/ il pl. i galli Rooster A2Elementary#
  40. Oca /ˈɔka/ l' pl. le oche Goose A2Elementary#
  41. Piccione /pitˈtʃone/ il pl. i piccioni Pigeon A2Elementary#
  42. Pappagallo /pappaˈɡallo/ il pl. i pappagalli Parrot A2Elementary#
  43. Ratto /ˈratto/ il pl. i ratti Rat B1Elementary#
  44. Volpe /ˈvolpe/ la pl. le volpi Fox A2Elementary#
  45. Lupo /ˈlupo/ il pl. i lupi Wolf A2Elementary#
  46. Tigre /ˈtiɡre/ la pl. le tigri Tiger A2Elementary#
  47. Giraffa /dʒiˈraffa/ la pl. le giraffe Giraffe A2Elementary#
  48. Zebra /ˈdzɛbra/ la pl. le zebre Zebra A2Elementary#
  49. Panda /ˈpanda/ il pl. i panda Panda A2Elementary#
  50. Gorilla /ɡoˈrilla/ il pl. i gorilla Gorilla A2Elementary#
  51. Delfino /delˈfino/ il pl. i delfini Dolphin A2Elementary#
  52. Balena /baˈlena/ la pl. le balene Whale A2Elementary#
  53. Squalo /ˈskwalo/ lo pl. gli squali Shark A2Elementary#
  54. Rana /ˈrana/ la pl. le rane Frog A2Elementary#
  55. Granchio /ˈɡrankjo/ il pl. i granchi Crab B1Elementary#
  56. Formica /forˈmika/ la pl. le formiche Ant A2Elementary#
  57. Aquila /ˈakwila/ l' pl. le aquile Eagle A2Intermediate#
  58. Falco /ˈfalko/ il pl. i falchi Falcon B1Intermediate#
  59. Cigno /ˈtʃiɲɲo/ il pl. i cigni Swan A2Intermediate#
  60. Canarino /kanaˈrino/ il pl. i canarini Canary A2Intermediate#
  61. Riccio /ˈrittʃo/ il pl. i ricci Hedgehog B1Intermediate#
  62. Talpa /ˈtalpa/ la pl. le talpe Mole B1Intermediate#
  63. Puma /ˈpuma/ il pl. i puma Puma B1Intermediate#
  64. Cervo /ˈtʃɛrvo/ il pl. i cervi Deer B1Intermediate#
  65. Cinghiale /tʃinˈɡjale/ il pl. i cinghiali Wild boar B1Intermediate#
  66. Rinoceronte /rinotʃeˈronte/ il pl. i rinoceronti Rhinoceros A2Intermediate#
  67. Ippopotamo /ippoˈpɔtamo/ l' pl. gli ippopotami Hippopotamus A2Intermediate#
  68. Canguro /kanˈɡuro/ il pl. i canguri Kangaroo A2Intermediate#
  69. Koala /koˈala/ il pl. i koala Koala A2Intermediate#
  70. Lucertola /luˈtʃɛrtola/ la pl. le lucertole Lizard B1Intermediate#
  71. Coccodrillo /kokkoˈdrillo/ il pl. i coccodrilli Crocodile A2Intermediate#
  72. Alligatore /alliɡaˈtore/ l' pl. gli alligatori Alligator B1Intermediate#
  73. Lumaca /luˈmaka/ la pl. le lumache Slug B1Intermediate#
  74. Chiocciola /ˈkjɔttʃola/ la pl. le chiocciole Snail B1Intermediate#
  75. Rospo /ˈrɔspo/ il pl. i rospi Toad B1Intermediate#
  76. Aragosta /araˈɡosta/ l' pl. le aragoste Lobster B1Intermediate#
  77. Coccinella /kottʃiˈnɛlla/ la pl. le coccinelle Ladybug A2Intermediate#
  78. Scorpione /skorˈpjone/ lo pl. gli scorpioni Scorpion B1Intermediate#
  79. Termiti /ˈtɛrmiti/ la pl. le termiti Termites B2Intermediate#

Rules to remember

  • Many masculine names ending in -o form their plural with -i, as with Gatto and Cavallo. Many feminine names ending in -a take -e, as with Mucca and Capra.
  • The ending -e does not determine gender: Cane is masculine, while Volpe is feminine.
  • In Mantide religiosa, the adjective follows the noun and agrees with its feminine gender.

More topics

This topic in other languages