Animals in Cantonese
Animal words are early favourites for learners — and several double as Chinese zodiac signs. Everyday pets are 狗 (gau2, dog) and 貓 (maau1, cat), bird takes the 仔 suffix as 雀仔 (zoek3 zai2), and the zoo set includes 老虎 (lou5 fu2, tiger) and 大象 (daai6 zoeng6, elephant). Tap any animal to hear it.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say dog and cat in Cantonese?
狗 (gau2) is dog and 貓 (maau1) is cat. The measure word for most animals is 隻 (zek3): 一隻狗 (jat1 zek3 gau2), one dog.
Why is bird 雀仔 (zoek3 zai2)?
Spoken Cantonese adds the diminutive 仔 (zai2, "little") — 雀 alone sounds formal. The same suffix appears in 耳仔 (ear).
Which of these animals are Chinese zodiac signs?
馬 (horse), 豬 (pig), 牛 (ox), 狗 (dog) and 老虎 (tiger) are all among the twelve. Your zodiac year is X年: 馬年 (maa5 nin4) is the Year of the Horse.