Common Animal Names In Italian: 31+ Fun Vocabulary

Are you wondering how to say the common animal names in Italian? If you are amongst Italian friends who love pets and animals, it is very convenient to know how to tell the animals in Italian.

Talking about pets is one of the best topics of conversation amongst Italians because 60% of the people living in the country own a pet (dog or cat). Other pets are pretty famous, too, such as fishes, birds, and turtles.

The Most Common Animal Names In Italian Names

While learning Italian, you could add to your vocabulary some of the most common animal words that you are more likely to encounter during a conversation.

Here are the most common animals in Italian:

1. Il cane/i cani – Dog/Dogs
2. Il gatto/i gatti – Cat/Cats
3. Il pesce – Fish
4. L’elefante – Elephant
5. Il cavallo/I cavalli – Horse/Horses
6. Il pesce rosso – Redfish
7. Il lupo – Wolf
8. Il leone – Lion
9. La scimmia – Monkey
10. La tartaruga – Turtle
11. La rana – Frog
12. La farfalle – Butterfly
13. L’uccello/Gli uccelli – Bird/Birds
14. Il cinghiale – Wild boar
15. La tigre – Tiger
16. Il serpente – The snake
17. Il coccodrillo – Crocodile
18. L’orso – Bear
19. La giraffe – Giraffe
20. Il coniglio – Rabbit
21. Lo squalo – Shark
22. La zebra – Zebre
23. La formica – Ant
24. Il criceto – Hamster
25. Il canarino – Canary
26. La balena – Whale
27. La foca – Seal
28. L’aquila – Eagle
29. Il corvo – Crow
30. Il Ragno – Spider
31. La volpe – Fox

Common Farm Animals In Italian

There aren’t only domestic animals to talk about. The Italian culture includes the cultivation of the land and the breeding of animals; therefore, it is helpful to know the most common farm animals.

Here are the most common words to add to your Italian vocabulary:

• Il Bue – Ox
• La Capra – Goat
• Il pollo/i polli – Chicken/Chickens
• Il toro – Bull
• L’asino – Donkey
• La mucca – Cow
• L’anatra – Duck
• Il topo – Mouse
• L’oca – Goose
• Il maiale – Pig
• La pecora – Sheep
• Il gallo – Rooster
• Il rinoceronte – Rhinoceros
• L’ippopotamo – Hippo

Useful Italian Words And Phrases Related To Animals

In the Italian language, you may sometimes hear animal-related words being used in a context that is not necessarily about animals. To not be taken aback, it is essential to understand how to differentiate between animal-related terms that do talk about animals and those that don’t.

So if you are wondering what phrases would include animals but not necessarily refer to animals? It would be the idioms and expressions!

Here are some of the related words and phrases you could encounter:

• Animali selvaggi – Wild Animals
• Animali dello zoo – Zoo Animals
• Qua’è il tuo animale preferito – What is your favorite animal?
• Il mio animale favorito è... – My favorite animal is …
• Il lupo perde la sua pelliccia ma non i suoi vizi – The wolf loses its fur but not its vices ( it is a way of saying that signifies that a person can change aspects but not his habits)
• In bocca al lupo – In the wolf’s mouth (it is used to wish good luck to other people)
• Crepi il lupo – May the wolf die ( it is the answer to the previous phrase used when someone wishes you good luck with that sentence)

Apart from the previous Italian sayings, you will encounter many other idioms related to animals in everyday conversations.

Let’s learn more fun Italian expressions that include animals!

Italian Sayings Related To Animals

In Italian, there are many saying used in daily life containing animals. Foreigners might not understand why an animal word is in the middle of a sentence related to something else. If that happens to you, you are probably listening to a proverb or a saying.

Here are some common sayings:

Menare Il Can Per L’aia

It used to say that someone was talking too much without really concluding. If you can use it when you think another person is talking a lot or changing the subject of the conversation too often. You can say:

• Non menare il can per l’aia – Don’t beat the bush

Essere A Cavallo

This Italian expression signifies having resolved a problem or coming out of a problematic situation as a winner. You can say

• Sono a Cavallo – I’m on horseback, or I am on top of it

A Caval Donato Non Si Guarda In Bocca

It is another Italian expression with a horse within it. When you receive a gift, you should not look for all the flaws and the problems. After all, you got something for free. You can use the sentence as it is when hearing someone complaining about a gift:

• A caval donato non si guarda in bocca – You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

Andare A Letto Con Le Galline

This sentence means to go to be when the chickens go to bed, which is too early. Italians use this sentence to tell others they go to sleep too early. You can say:

• Vai a letto con le galline – You go to bed with the chickens

Would you like to learn more about Italian?

Ready To Learn More Italian?

If you want to learn more about the Italian vocabulary or learn another foreign language, you can use the Ling App!

With this app, you can learn grammar rules, have fun with interactive quizzes, and add more Italian words to your vocabulary. You can read our posts on Italian insults and happy birthday in Italian to start your journey of sounding like a local!

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