The #1 Easy Guide To Animal Names In Turkish For Beginners

Learning Turkish would be incomplete if you don’t know animal names in Turkish, while Turkey is known for its cute stray cats on the streets of İstanbul.

If you’ve traveled to Turkey before, you can attest to the animal love of Turks. They look after stray cats and dogs as if they’re one of their own pets. You can see many plates filled with cat and dog food while walking on the sidewalk in Turkey. People put them for stray animals to eat, so they won’t starve.

To be honest, I sometimes get tired of stopping to pet every cat I see on the street (yep, I’m a cat person). By the way, I must say that most street cats in Turkey look as beautiful as the ones at your home but anyway; less talking, more learning! Let’s get to the vocabulary for animals in Turkish!

Evcil Hayvanlar (Pets)

In almost all Turkish homes you can see a pet let it be a cat, dog, or bird… Did you know that some of the Turkish animal breeds are world-famous?

The popular Turkish cat breeds are Turkish Angora cats (Ankara kedisi) and Van cats (Van kedisi) which are naturally born with unique eye colors, usually one is green and the other is blue.

And some of the popular Turkish dog breeds include Kangal dogs, Akbash dogs, and Anatolian Sheperd dogs. The common sense of these Turkish dogs is that they are extremely loyal to their families and protective of each family member.

Here is a vocabulary list for pets in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Cat	Kedi
Dog	Köpek
Parrot	Papağan
Budgerigar	Muhabbet kuşu
Rabbit	Tavşan
Hamster	Hamster
Goldfish	Japon balığı

Çiftlik Hayvanları (Farm Animals)

Farms are very common in the villages of Turkey. Farm animals are bred to benefit from their meat, milk, eggs, and wool. Most of the cattle farming is performed in the central and eastern parts of the country.

Here is a vocabulary list for farm animals in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Horse	At
Cow	İnek
Pig	Domuz
Rooster	Horoz
Chicken	Tavuk
Goose	Kaz
Goat	Keçi
Sheep	Koyun
Lamb	Kuzu
Duck	Ördek
Camel	Deve

Vahşi Hayvanlar (Wild Animals)

Most wild animals are kept in zoos as Turkey is not a natural habitat for wild animals like lions, tigers, and elephants. But bears, deer, wolves, and some wild cats can be seen in the forests located in the various parts of the country.

Here is a vocabulary list for wild animals in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Lion	Aslan
Bear	Ayı
Elephant	Fil
Deer	Geyik
Tiger	Kaplan
Wolf	Kurt
Leopard	Leopar
Monkey	Maymun
Fox	Tilki
Zebra	Zebra
Giraffe	Zürafa
Squirrel	Sincap

Deniz Hayvanları (Sea Animals)

Since Turkey is surrounded by the sea on three sides and has around 5178 miles of shoreline, it has a growing fishing industry. However, the unique fish species that live in the waters of Turkey are rapidly decreasing due to overhunting and pollution.

Here is a vocabulary list for sea animals in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Octopus	Ahtapot
Whale	Balina
Seahorse	Deniz atı
Lobster	Istakoz
Shrimp	Karides
Shark	Köpek balığı
Crab	Yengeç
Dolphin	Yunus
Jellyfish	Deniz anası

Kuşlar (Birds)

Turkey’s moderate climate is suitable for many different species of birds. Some of the bird species in Turkey are migratory birds so they visit Turkey during the wintertime.

Here is a vocabulary list for birds in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Woodpecker	Ağaçkakan
Owl	Baykuş
Dove	Kumru
Crow	Karga
Eagle	Kartal
Pigeon	Güvercin
Seagull	Martı
Canary	Kanarya
Nightingale	Bülbül
Hawk	Şahin

Sürüngenler (Reptiles)

The most popular reptile species in Turkey is the Caretta Caretta sea turtle, which lives on the southern shores of the country. The beaches they live on are currently under protection. They are closed at certain hours, May through August, during which period the sea turtles lay their eggs. And they put warning signs for visitors to be aware that it’s Caretta Carettas’ area.

Here is a vocabulary list for reptiles in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Chameleon	Bukalemun
Lizard	Kertenkele
Frog	Kurbağa
Turtle	Kaplumbağa
Sea turtle	Deniz kaplumbağası
Crocodile	Timsah
Snake	Yılan

Böcekler (Bugs)

Did you know that there’s a bug museum in İstanbul where a range of different bug species has been put on display since 1937? If you’re into bugs, you can visit the museum if you ever travel to Turkey.

Here is a vocabulary list for bugs in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Bee	Arı
Firefly	Ateş böceği
Grasshopper	Çekirge
Silkworm	İpek böceği
Ant	Karınca
Butterfly	Kelebek
Fly	Sinek
Mosquito	Sivri sinek
Spider	Örümcek
Ladybug	Uğur böceği

Body Parts Of Animals In Turkish

And, lastly, here is the vocabulary list that includes words related to the body parts of animals in Turkish:

English	Turkish	Pronunciation
Horn	Boynuz
Trunk	Filin hortumu
Beak	Gaga
Wing	Kanat
Feather	Tüy
Tail	Kuyruk
Fur	Kürk
Paw	Pati
Claw	Pençe
Fin	Yüzgeç

So, you’ve learned Turkish animal names in today’s blog post. If you’re interested in learning more Turkish, check out Ling today! Read below to learn more about our app!

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