Lumi KidsAnimals in Spanish for Kids: Pets, Farm and Zoo Words
Animal words are easy to love: every child has a favorite, and toy animals, picture books and pets give you something to point at. Here are 16 animals in Spanish, from pets to the farm and the zoo, each with its English meaning, an easy "say it" guide and Lumi's audio. Below the table you will find the animal sounds in Spanish and three games for home.
Animals in Spanish, with audio
| Spanish | English | Say it | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| gato | cat | GAH-toh | |
| perro | dog | PEH-rroh | |
| pájaro | bird | PAH-hah-roh | |
| pez | fish | PEHS | |
| caballo | horse | kah-BAH-yoh | |
| vaca | cow | BAH-kah | |
| león | lion | leh-OHN | |
| conejo | rabbit | koh-NEH-hoh | |
| cerdo | pig | SEHR-doh | |
| pato | duck | PAH-toh | |
| oveja | sheep | oh-BEH-hah | |
| elefante | elephant | eh-leh-FAHN-teh | |
| jirafa | giraffe | hee-RAH-fah | |
| mono | monkey | MOH-noh | |
| oso | bear | OH-soh | |
| tigre | tiger | TEE-greh |
Pez is a live fish; fish on a plate is pescado. Voices: Lumi (AI-generated voice).
Two sounds to practice: j in conejo and jirafa is a breathy h (koh-NEH-hoh, hee-RAH-fah), and rr in perro is rolled. If the roll does not come yet, a quick tap is fine; most children get it with time.
Pets, farm animals and zoo animals
| Pets | Farm | Zoo |
|---|---|---|
| gato (cat), perro (dog) | caballo (horse), vaca (cow) | león (lion), tigre (tiger) |
| pájaro (bird), pez (fish) | cerdo (pig), pato (duck) | elefante (elephant), jirafa (giraffe) |
| conejo (rabbit) | oveja (sheep) | mono (monkey), oso (bear) |
You will also hear el and la before animals: el perro, la vaca. They both mean "the"; el goes with masculine words and la with feminine ones.
What do animals say in Spanish?
Kids are often delighted that animals "speak Spanish" too. Say the sentence, make the sound together, and let your child guess the next animal.
| Animal | Sound | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| el perro | guau guau | El perro dice guau guau. |
| el gato | miau | El gato dice miau. |
| la vaca | muu | La vaca dice muu. |
| el pato | cua cua | El pato dice cua cua. |
| el cerdo | oinc oinc | El cerdo dice oinc oinc. |
Dice (DEE-seh) means "says", so El gato dice miau is "The cat says meow".
Three animal games for home
- What does it say? You make a sound, your child names the animal in Spanish. Then swap: your child names an animal and you make the sound (the sillier, the better).
- Animal parade. Line up toy animals and ask ¿Qué animal es? (keh ah-nee-MAHL ehs), "What animal is it?" for each one. Mix in colors once your child knows them: el caballo café, la vaca blanca.
- My favorite animal. At bedtime, each person says Mi animal favorito es el oso (mee ah-nee-MAHL fah-boh-REE-toh ehs ehl OH-soh), "My favorite animal is the bear", and the others guess why.
If you want a simple plan for the week, our guide to teaching your child Spanish at home shows how to fit games like these into 15 minutes a day, even if you are learning alongside your child.
In the Lumi Kids app, animals are the fourth world of the free Seed level: gato, perro, pájaro, pez, caballo, vaca, león and conejo, with sentences like El gato dice miau. Your child listens, finds the pictures, plays a memory game and then talks about the animals with Lumi, the AI owl. See the app.
Free animals in Spanish worksheet (PDF)
Three pages: the animals with a say-it guide, a matching worksheet (Spanish to English) and a writing sheet. Free to print at home or in class.
Download the PDF: Animals in SpanishMore Spanish words for kids
- Colors in Spanish: el gato negro, el pájaro azul.
- Toys and home words: where is the osito de peluche?
- Family words in Spanish and food in Spanish.
- All Spanish words for kids.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say the animals in Spanish?
Cat is gato (GAH-toh), dog perro (PEH-rroh), bird pájaro (PAH-hah-roh), fish pez (PEHS), horse caballo (kah-BAH-yoh), cow vaca (BAH-kah), lion león (leh-OHN) and rabbit conejo (koh-NEH-hoh). The table on this page has 16 animals with audio.
What sounds do animals make in Spanish?
A dog says guau guau, a cat miau, a cow muu, a duck cua cua, a pig oinc oinc and a chick pío pío. Kids love comparing them with the English sounds.
Why are there two words for fish in Spanish?
Pez is a fish that is alive and swimming; pescado is fish as food. A goldfish is a pez, fish sticks are pescado.
How do you say a girl cat or a girl dog?
Many animal words change -o to -a: gato, gata; perro, perra; conejo, coneja. Some have one form for both, like jirafa or pez.
How can I practice animal words with a 4-year-old?
Play "What does it say?": make an animal sound and let your child name the animal in Spanish, or name the animal and let your child make the sound. Toy animals, picture books and a visit to a farm or zoo all work.
In the Lumi Kids app, Lumi the AI owl talks with your child, corrects gently and hands out stars. Ages 4–9, no ads. The first two levels and the first minute of live conversation are free.
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The team behind Lumi Kids. Articles are written using published research on early-childhood language acquisition and the curriculum built into the app, and are reviewed and updated over time. Questions or corrections: hello@lumikids.live
