Master Animal Names in Turkish: 100+ Must-Know Animals

Animal lovers will definitely want to learn the animal names in Turkish! Turkish people are fond of animals, you can see cats and dogs in the streets of Istanbul and people taking care of them. Whether you’re talking about pets, farm animals, or wildlife, knowing the animal vocabulary in Turkish will make you sound more fluent and confident. In this guide, we’ll cover over 100 animals with their Turkish translations and full-sentence examples to help you use them in real-life situations. İyi okumalar!

Mammals

Mammals are some of the most commonly discussed animals. Let’s look at their names in Turkish.

English	Turkish
Dog	Köpek
Cat	Kedi
Cow	İnek
Horse	At
Sheep	Koyun
Goat	Keçi
Pig	Domuz
Rabbit	Tavşan
Mouse	Fare
Rat	Sçan
Lion	Aslan
Tiger	Kaplan
Bear	Ayı
Elephant	Fil
Giraffe	Zürefa
Monkey	Maymun
Gorilla	Goril
Chimpanzee	Şempanze
Kangaroo	Kanguru
Fox	Tilki
Wolf	Kurt
Deer	Geyik
Squirrel	Sincap
Raccoon	Rakun
Hedgehog	Kirpi

Examples:

1. “Bahçede bir tavşan gördüm.” (I saw a rabbit in the garden.)
2. “Ormanda aslanlar yürüyordu.” (Lions were walking in the forest.)

Birds

English	Turkish
Chicken	Tavuk
Duck	Ördek
Goose	Kaz
Turkey	Hindi
Sparrow	Serçe
Pigeon	Güvercin
Eagle	Kartal
Hawk	Şahin
Parrot	Papağan
Crow	Karga
Owl	Baykuş
Penguin	Penguen
Peacock	Tavus kuşu
Flamingo	Flamingo
Swan	Kuğu

Examples:

1. “Parkta kargalar çok gürültü yapıyor.” (The crows in the park are making a lot of noise.)
2. “Gölde birçok kuğu yüzüyordu.” (Many swans were swimming in the lake.)

Reptiles

English	Turkish
Snake	Yılan
Lizard	Kertenkele
Crocodile	Timsah
Alligator	Amerikan timsah
Turtle	Kaplumbağa
Tortoise	Kara kaplumbağa
Chameleon	Bukalemun
Iguana	İguana

Examples:

1. “Bahçemde bir kertenkele fark ettim.” (I noticed a lizard in my garden.)
2. “Gölette yüzen bir kaplumbağa var.” (There is a turtle swimming in the pond.)

Fish & Marine Animals

Rakı balık anyone? 👀

English	Turkish
Fish	Balık
Shark	Köpekbalığı
Dolphin	Yunus
Whale	Balina
Octopus	Ahtapot
Squid	Mürekkepbalığı
Starfish	Denizyıldızı
Jellyfish	Denizanasi
Seahorse	Denizatı
Crab	Yengeç
Lobster	Istakoz
Clam	Midye
Shrimp	Karides

Examples:

1. “Denizde bir yunus gördük.” (We saw a dolphin in the sea.)
2. “Restoranda karides çok lezzetliydi.” (The shrimp at the restaurant was very delicious.)

Insects & Arachnids

English	Turkish
Ant	Karınca
Bee	Arı
Wasp	Eğen
Butterfly	Kelebek
Moth	Güeve
Fly	Sinek
Mosquito	Sivrisinek
Beetle	Böcek
Spider	Örümcek
Scorpion	Akrep
Grasshopper	Çekirge
Ladybug	Uğurböceği

Examples:

1. “Balkonda bir kelebek uçuyor.” (A butterfly is flying on the balcony.)
2. “Mutfağımda bir karınca sürüsü buldum.” (I found a colony of ants in my kitchen.)

Amphibians

English	Turkish
Frog	Kurbağa
Toad	Kara kurbağa
Salamander	Semender
Newt	Semender

Examples:

1. “Göletin yanında bir kurbağa bulduk.” (We found a frog near the pond.)
2. “Yağmurdan sonra kara kurbağaları ortaya çıktı.” (The toads appeared after the rain.)

Farm Animals

Turkish culture has strong ties to rural and farm life. Here are the most common farm animals which are not in the mammals category:

English	Turkish
Donkey	Eşek
Mule	Katır
Ox	Öküz
Bull	Boğa
Rooster	Horoz
Hen	Tavuk

Examples:

1. “Komşunun horozu sabah erkenden ötüyor.” (The neighbor’s rooster crows early in the morning.)
2. “Ahırda iki inek vardı.” (There were two cows in the barn.)

Wild Animals

English	Turkish
Leopard	Leopar
Cheetah	Çita
Hippopotamus	Su aygırı
Rhinoceros	Gergedan
Zebra	Zebra
Panther	Panter
Hyena	Sırtlan
Baboon	Babun

Examples:

1. “Hayvanat bahçesinde bir gergedan gördük.” (We saw a rhinoceros at the zoo.)
2. “Afrika’da zebralar sürüler halinde yaşar.” (Zebras live in herds in Africa.)

Domestic Pets

Turkish people love domestic pets! Popular pets have their own names in Turkish (also in mammals category):

English	Turkish
Guinea Pig	Gine domuzu
Hamster	Hamster
Ferret	Fırça

Examples:

1. “Kızım bir hamster istiyor.” (My daughter wants a hamster.)
2. “Gine domuzları çok sevimli hayvanlardır.” (Guinea pigs are very cute animals.)

Other Common Animals

Finally, here are some other animals you might encounter:

English	Turkish
Bat	Yarasa
Camel	Deve
Llama	Lama
Porcupine	Dikenlik
Antelope	Antilop
Meerkat	Mirket

Examples:

1. “Geceleyin bir yarasa gördüm.” (I saw a bat at night.)
2. “Çölde birçok deve yürüyordu.” (Many camels were walking in the desert.)

Popular Turkish Expressions with Animals

Turkish is rich with idiomatic expressions (deyimler) that include animal names. These expressions often carry metaphorical meanings and are widely used in daily conversations. Here are four popular ones:

1. Aç ayı oynamaz
   • Literal Translation: A hungry bear doesn’t dance.
   • Meaning: People can’t work or perform without their basic needs being met.
   • Example: “Bir şey yemezsem çalışamam, aç ayı oynamaz.” (If I don’t eat something, I can’t work; a hungry bear doesn’t dance.)
2. Kurt kocayınca köpeklerin maskarası olur
   • Literal Translation: When the wolf ages, it becomes a joke for the dogs.
   • Meaning: Powerful people lose respect as they grow weak or old.
   • Example: “Artık kimse ona saygı göstermiyor, kurt kocayınca köpeklerin maskarası olur.”
3. Tilki kuyruğuna basılınca kaçar
   • Literal Translation: A fox runs when its tail is stepped on.
   • Meaning: People avoid situations when their flaws are exposed.
   • Example: “Hata yaptığını anlayınca hemen uzaklaştı, tilki kuyruğuna basılınca kaçar.”
4. Atı alan Üsküdar’ı geçti
   • Literal Translation: The one who took the horse has already crossed Üsküdar.
   • Meaning: It’s too late to take action; the opportunity has passed.
   • Example: “Proje başladı bile, atı alan Üsküdar’ı geçti.” (The project has already started; the opportunity has passed.)

Conclusion

Learning animal names in Turkish is a practical and engaging way to expand your vocabulary, especially in Turkey where there are a lot of animal lovers! Practice using these words in sentences, and soon you’ll be able to describe animals in any situation. Keep practicing, and happy learning!

Ready to explore more vocabulary? Check out our guide on sport vocabulary in Turkish!