Japanese Language: Animal Sounds

oday we will look at how to correctly speak to your cat -- in Japanese. Or maybe how to sound like a Japanese cat. I am not sure. I teach at 8 elementary schools and invariably this topic comes up. It is interesting how different cultures perceive animal sounds differently.

NOTE: Notice that usually animal sounds are long requiring the bar '-' to extend the sound. Also they are usually repeated. WAN WAN! Click on the for the animal sounds by Yumi.

CONTENTS OF ANIMALS:

1. NEKO - cat
2. INU - dog
3. KAERU - frog
4. KARASU - crow

5. USHI - cow
6. HITSUJI - sheep
7. NIWATORI - chicken
8. BUTA - pig

9. AHIRU - duck
10. SARU - monkey
11. GOJIRA - Godzilla

MOOD SETTING: Imagine a zoo located atop Mt. Fuji

猫
neko
CAT

ニャーニャー
nya- nya-
(meow)

NOTE: One interesting thing about animal sounds is they often appear in MANGA. nyaa!

犬
inu
DOG

ワンワン
wan wan
(woof, bark)

NOTE : to the Japanese wan and ONE (1) are the same pronunciation. So there is a chain of steak houses in Japan called 'SUTEKI WAN' (Steak One) whose mascot is a dog.

かえる
kaeru
FROG

ゲロゲロ
gero gero
(ribbit)

NOTE : A word of caution is in order. Another meaning of gero is puke, throw-up, vomit.
NOTE #2 : The traditional Japanese song KAERU NO UTA GA (The Frog's Song) is here:

牛
ushi
COW

モーモー
mo- mo-
(Moo)

NOTE : One way to remember ushi is to think of it sounding like oishi (delicious). But be careful with your pronunciation. I had a friend a few years back who at the restaurant Mister Donuts pointed to her donut and said to an astonished Japanese waitress, "KORE WA USHI DESU! USHI DESU!" [This is a cow! this is a cow!]

あひる
ahiru
DUCK

ガーガー
ga- ga-
(quack)

NOTE : Japanese distinguishes between the white ducks (ahiru) and the other colored ducks (kamo). Despite their different names they still speak the same GA- GA- language.

ゴジラ
gojira
GODZILLA

ガオー
gao-

NOTE : gojira is a combination of gorira (gorilla) + kujira (whale); Also any large monster says, "GAO-"