The Japanese have always been keen observers of the animal world. Kanji preserves ancient classification wisdom — characters with 犭 usually refer to mammals, 魚 means something fish-related, and 虫 covers insects and reptiles.
This article teaches you 20 animal kanji, from the cats and dogs next door to the bears and deer of the mountain forests.
Core Kanji Table
Domestic Animals & Pets
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 犬 | ケン (ken) | いぬ (inu) | dog | 犬 (いぬ, dog), 子犬 (こいぬ, puppy), 番犬 (ばんけん, guard dog) | 犬 is written; いぬ is spoken |
| 猫 | ビョウ (byō) | ねこ (neko) | cat | 猫 (ねこ, cat), 子猫 (こねこ, kitten), 猫舌 (ねこじた) | 猫舌 = "cat tongue" = someone who can't eat hot food |
| 馬 | バ (ba) | うま (uma) | horse | 馬 (うま, horse), 競馬 (けいば, horse racing), 馬力 (ばりき, horsepower) | 競馬 = horse racing, hugely popular in Japan |
| 牛 | ギュウ (gyū) | うし (ushi) | cow, cattle | 牛 (うし, cow), 牛肉 (ぎゅうにく, beef), 牛乳 (ぎゅうにゅう, milk) | 和牛 (わぎゅう, wagyu) is world-famous |
| 豚 | トン (ton) | ぶた (buta) | pig | 豚 (ぶた, pig), 豚肉 (ぶたにく, pork), 豚カツ (とんかつ, pork cutlet) | 豚カツ = tonkatsu, a Japanese classic |
| 羊 | ヨウ (yō) | ひつじ (hitsuji) | sheep | 羊 (ひつじ, sheep), 羊毛 (ようもう, wool), 羊肉 (ようにく, mutton) | 美 and 善 both contain 羊 — sheep = beauty to the ancients |
Birds & Fish
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鳥 | チョウ (chō) | とり (tori) | bird | 鳥 (とり, bird), 野鳥 (やちょう, wild bird), 焼き鳥 (やきとり, grilled chicken skewers) | 焼き鳥 = yakitori |
| 魚 | ギョ (gyo) | さかな (sakana)・うお (uo) | fish | 魚 (さかな, fish), 金魚 (きんぎょ, goldfish), 魚市場 (うおいちば, fish market) | さかな is most common; うお is literary |
| 鶏 | ケイ (kei) | にわとり (niwatori) | chicken | 鶏 (にわとり, chicken), 鶏肉 (けいにく/とりにく, chicken meat), 鶏卵 (けいらん, egg) | The 鳥 in 焼き鳥 actually means chicken |
Insects & Reptiles
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 虫 | チュウ (chū) | むし (mushi) | insect, bug | 虫 (むし, bug), 昆虫 (こんちゅう, insect), 虫歯 (むしば, cavity) | 虫歯 = "bug tooth" = cavity |
| 蛇 | ジャ (ja)・ダ (da) | へび (hebi) | snake | 蛇 (へび, snake), 大蛇 (だいじゃ, great serpent), 蛇口 (じゃぐち, faucet) | 蛇口 = faucet (shaped like a snake's mouth!) |
| 蝶 | チョウ (chō) | ちょう (chō) | butterfly | 蝶 (ちょう, butterfly), 蝶々 (ちょうちょう), 胡蝶 (こちょう) | 蝶々 = cute doubled form |
| 蛍 | ケイ (kei) | ほたる (hotaru) | firefly | 蛍 (ほたる, firefly), 蛍光 (けいこう, fluorescence), 蛍雪 (けいせつ) | 蛍雪 = studying by firefly light (idiom for diligent study) |
| 蚕 | サン (san) | かいこ (kaiko) | silkworm | 蚕 (かいこ, silkworm), 蚕糸 (さんし, silk thread), 養蚕 (ようさん, sericulture) | Japan was once a major silk producer |
Wild Animals
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹿 | ロク (roku) | しか (shika) | deer | 鹿 (しか, deer), 鹿児島 (かごしま, Kagoshima), 馬鹿 (ばか, idiot) | 馬鹿 = idiot (extremely common!) |
| 猿 | エン (en) | さる (saru) | monkey | 猿 (さる, monkey), 猿人 (えんじん, ape-man), 野猿 (やえん, wild monkey) | Japanese macaques love hot springs! |
| 熊 | ユウ (yū) | くま (kuma) | bear | 熊 (くま, bear), 白熊 (しろくま, polar bear), 熊本 (くまもと, Kumamoto) | Kumamoto's mascot = Kumamon |
| 兎 | ト (to) | うさぎ (usagi) | rabbit | 兎 (うさぎ, rabbit), 兎に角 (とにかく, anyway), 脱兎 (だっと, fleeing rabbit) | 脱兎の如く = "swift as a fleeing rabbit" |
| 亀 | キ (ki) | かめ (kame) | turtle | 亀 (かめ, turtle), 亀裂 (きれつ, crack), 海亀 (うみがめ, sea turtle) | 鶴は千年、亀は万年 = symbol of longevity |
| 鯨 | ゲイ (gei) | くじら (kujira) | whale | 鯨 (くじら, whale), 捕鯨 (ほげい, whaling), 鯨肉 (げいにく, whale meat) | Japan has a long whaling history |
Animal Radicals: Let the Parts Guide You
| Radical | Name | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 犭 | kemono-hen | beast, mammal | 犬, 猫, 猿, 豚 |
| 魚 | uo-hen | fish | 魚, 鯨 |
| 虫 | mushi-hen | insect, reptile | 虫, 蛇, 蝶, 蛍, 蚕 |
| 鳥 | tori-hen | bird | 鳥, 鶏 |
犭 = four-legged mammals; 魚 = aquatic creatures; 虫 = insects and reptiles; 鳥 = birds.
When you encounter an unfamiliar kanji, check the radical first to guess the general meaning. For example: 鮭 (さけ) has the fish radical → must be some kind of fish (salmon); 蟻 (あり) has the insect radical → must be some kind of bug (ant).
Animals in Japanese Culture
The Twelve Zodiac Animals (Eto)
Japan shares the Chinese zodiac system (干支, えと), but with one key difference:
| Zodiac | Japanese | Kanji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子 | ね | 鼠 | Rat |
| 丑 | うし | 牛 | Ox |
| 寅 | とら | 虎 | Tiger |
| 卯 | う | 兎 | Rabbit |
| 辰 | たつ | 龍 | Dragon |
| 巳 | み | 蛇 | Snake |
| 午 | うま | 馬 | Horse |
| 未 | ひつじ | 羊 | Sheep |
| 申 | さる | 猿 | Monkey |
| 酉 | とり | 鶏 | Rooster |
| 戌 | いぬ | 犬 | Dog |
| 亥 | い | 猪 | Boar |
Notice the last one: Japanese 猪 (いのしし) = wild boar, not a domestic pig! The domestic pig in Japanese is 豚 (ぶた).
Animal Proverbs (Kotowaza)
- 猿も木から落ちる (さるもきからおちる) = "Even monkeys fall from trees" → Even experts make mistakes
- 馬の耳に念仏 (うまのみみにねんぶつ) = "Chanting sutras to a horse's ears" → Wasted advice on someone who won't listen
- 犬猿の仲 (けんえんのなか) = "Dog-and-monkey relationship" → Sworn enemies, like cats and dogs in English
- 鶴は千年、亀は万年 (つるはせんねん、かめはまんねん) = "Cranes live 1,000 years, turtles live 10,000" → A blessing for long life
- 蛇の道は蛇 (じゃのみちはへび) = "A snake knows the snake's path" → It takes one to know one
Practice
Q1. What does 馬鹿 (ばか) mean? Does it have anything to do with animals?
Show answer
馬鹿 = idiot/fool. Though it combines "horse" and "deer," it's now purely an insult. One theory traces it to the Chinese story of "calling a deer a horse" (pointing at a deer and insisting it's a horse).
Q2. If you see an unfamiliar kanji with the 虫 radical, what can you guess about its meaning?
Show answer
It's related to insects or reptiles. The 虫 radical (むしへん) covers bugs and snakes alike — for example: 蝶 (butterfly), 蛍 (firefly), 蛇 (snake), 蚕 (silkworm).
Q3. Does Japanese 猪 (いのしし) mean the same as the Chinese character for "pig"?
Show answer
No! Japanese 猪 = wild boar (いのしし), while the domestic pig is written 豚 (ぶた). This is the biggest Chinese-Japanese difference in the zodiac animals.
Q4. What does 猿も木から落ちる mean?
Show answer
Even experts make mistakes. Literally "even monkeys fall from trees" — if a monkey, the ultimate tree-climber, can slip, then anyone can fail sometimes. Similar to "nobody's perfect."
Q5. What is 蛇口 (じゃぐち), and why does it involve a snake?
Show answer
A faucet/tap. Early faucets were designed with spouts shaped like a snake's head, so they were called 蛇口 ("snake mouth"). It's a fun example of how animal imagery sneaks into everyday Japanese vocabulary.
Summary
- Animal radicals are your best friends for guessing meaning: 犭 = mammals, 魚 = fish, 虫 = insects/reptiles, 鳥 = birds
- Japanese 猪 = wild boar, NOT a domestic pig; the domestic pig is 豚
- Animal kanji appear frequently in proverbs — learning them unlocks a huge chunk of Japanese idioms
- The zodiac (干支) is central to Japanese culture; every year's New Year's cards feature that year's zodiac animal
- Next up: Mythical & Rare Creatures — kanji for legendary and exotic animals