Dog in Different Languages: “Dog” in Languages Around the World

Dogs are beloved companions around the world, known for their loyalty, intelligence, and playful nature.

if you are learning a new language, traveling abroad, studying vocabulary, or simply curious about how people describe their furry friends, learning the word for “dog” in different languages is a fun way to explore global cultures.

The word “dog” has many translations, from the familiar Spanish perro to the French chien and the Japanese inu.

In this guide, you will discover dog in different languages, including native translations, easy English pronunciations, practical example sentences, and their English meanings.

Dog in Different Languages: Quick Overview

Here are some popular dog translations to help you get started.

Language	Word for Dog	Easy Pronunciation
Spanish	Perro	PEH-rroh
French	Chien	SHYEN
German	Hund	HOONT
Italian	Cane	KAH-neh
Portuguese	Cão	KOWN
Japanese	犬 (犬)	Ee-noo
Korean	개	Gae
Chinese (Mandarin)	狗 (狗)	Gǒu
Arabic	كلب	Kalb
Hindi	कुत्ता	Koot-taa

How to Say Dog in Different Languages: 70 Translations

The following table includes exactly 70 languages, with the native word for dog, a simplified pronunciation guide, a short example sentence, and its English meaning.

Pronunciations are approximate and designed for English speakers. Some languages use different words depending on grammatical gender, context, or regional usage. The examples use natural, everyday expressions where possible.

No.	Language	Native Word for Dog	Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
1	English	Dog	Dawg	The dog is friendly.	The dog is friendly.
2	Spanish	Perro	PEH-rroh	El perro corre.	The dog runs.
3	French	Chien	SHYEN	Le chien joue.	The dog plays.
4	German	Hund	HOONT	Der Hund schläft.	The dog is sleeping.
5	Italian	Cane	KAH-neh	Il cane corre.	The dog runs.
6	Portuguese	Cão	KOWN	O cão brinca.	The dog plays.
7	Dutch	Hond	HONT	De hond slaapt.	The dog sleeps.
8	Swedish	Hund	HOOND	Hunden springer.	The dog runs.
9	Norwegian	Hund	HOON	Hunden leker.	The dog plays.
10	Danish	Hund	HOON	Hunden sover.	The dog sleeps.
11	Finnish	Koira	KOY-rah	Koira juoksee.	The dog runs.
12	Icelandic	Hundur	HOON-dur	Hundurinn sefur.	The dog sleeps.
13	Irish	Madra	MAH-drah	Tá an madra ag rith.	The dog is running.
14	Welsh	Ci	KEE	Mae’r ci’n cysgu.	The dog is sleeping.
15	Scottish Gaelic	Cù	KOO	Tha an cù a’ ruith.	The dog is running.
16	Polish	Pies	PYES	Pies szczeka.	The dog barks.
17	Czech	Pes	PESS	Pes běží.	The dog runs.
18	Slovak	Pes	PESS	Pes spí.	The dog sleeps.
19	Slovenian	Pes	PESS	Pes laja.	The dog barks.
20	Croatian	Pas	PAHS	Pas trči.	The dog runs.
21	Serbian	Пас (Pas)	PAHS	Пас спава.	The dog sleeps.
22	Bulgarian	Куче (Kuche)	KOO-cheh	Кучето спи.	The dog sleeps.
23	Russian	Собака (Sobaka)	suh-BAH-kuh	Собака бежит.	The dog runs.
24	Ukrainian	Собака (Sobaka)	suh-BAH-kuh	Собака спить.	The dog sleeps.
25	Belarusian	Сабака (Sabaka)	suh-BAH-kuh	Сабака бяжыць.	The dog runs.
26	Greek	Σκύλος (Skýlos)	SKEE-los	Ο σκύλος τρέχει.	The dog runs.
27	Romanian	Câine	KUH-ee-neh	Câinele doarme.	The dog sleeps.
28	Hungarian	Kutya	KOO-tyah	A kutya fut.	The dog runs.
29	Estonian	Koer	KOH-ehr	Koer magab.	The dog sleeps.
30	Latvian	Suns	SOONS	Suns skrien.	The dog runs.
31	Lithuanian	Šuo	SHOO-oh	Šuo miega.	The dog sleeps.
32	Albanian	Qen	CHEN	Qeni vrapon.	The dog runs.
33	Macedonian	Куче (Kuche)	KOO-cheh	Кучето трча.	The dog runs.
34	Turkish	Köpek	KER-pek	Köpek koşuyor.	The dog is running.
35	Azerbaijani	İt	EET	İt qaçır.	The dog runs.
36	Armenian	Շուն (Shun)	SHOON	Շունը վազում է։	The dog is running.
37	Georgian	ძაღლი (Dzaghli)	DZAH-ghlee	ძაღლი დარბის.	The dog runs.
38	Persian (Farsi)	سگ (Sag)	SAG	سگ می‌دود.	The dog runs.
39	Arabic	كلب (Kalb)	KALB	الكلب يلعب.	The dog plays.
40	Hebrew	כלב (Kelev)	KEH-lev	הכלב ישן.	The dog sleeps.
41	Hindi	कुत्ता (Kutta)	KOOT-taa	कुत्ता दौड़ता है।	The dog runs.
42	Urdu	کتا (Kutta)	KUT-taa	کتا بھاگتا ہے۔	The dog runs.
43	Bengali	কুকুর (Kukur)	KOO-koor	কুকুরটি দৌড়ায়।	The dog runs.
44	Punjabi	ਕੁੱਤਾ (Kutta)	KUT-taa	ਕੁੱਤਾ ਦੌੜਦਾ ਹੈ।	The dog runs.
45	Gujarati	કૂતરો (Kūtaro)	KOO-tuh-roh	કૂતરો દોડે છે.	The dog runs.
46	Marathi	कुत्रा (Kutra)	KOOT-rah	कुत्रा धावतो.	The dog runs.
47	Nepali	कुकुर (Kukur)	KOO-koor	कुकुर दौडिन्छ।	The dog runs.
48	Sinhala	බල්ලා (Ballā)	BAL-laa	බල්ලා දුවනවා.	The dog runs.
49	Tamil	நாய் (Nāy)	NAA-ee	நாய் ஓடுகிறது.	The dog runs.
50	Telugu	కుక్క (Kukka)	KOOK-kah	కుక్క పరుగెడుతుంది.	The dog runs.
51	Kannada	ನಾಯಿ (Nāyi)	NAA-yee	ನಾಯಿ ಓಡುತ್ತದೆ.	The dog runs.
52	Malayalam	നായ (Nāya)	NAA-yah	നായ ഓടുന്നു.	The dog runs.
53	Thai	หมา (Maa)	MAA	หมาวิ่ง	The dog runs.
54	Vietnamese	Chó	CHAW	Con chó chạy.	The dog runs.
55	Indonesian	Anjing	AHN-jing	Anjing itu berlari.	The dog runs.
56	Malay	Anjing	AHN-jing	Anjing itu tidur.	The dog sleeps.
57	Filipino (Tagalog)	Aso	AH-soh	Tumatakbo ang aso.	The dog runs.
58	Javanese	Asu	AH-soo	Asu ku turu.	My dog sleeps.
59	Burmese	ခွေး (Khway)	KHWAY	ခွေး ပြေးနေတယ်။	The dog is running.
60	Khmer	ឆ្កែ (Chhkae)	CHKAE	ឆ្កែរត់។	The dog runs.
61	Lao	ໝາ (Ma)	MAA	ໝາແລ່ນ.	The dog runs.
62	Chinese (Mandarin)	狗 (Gǒu)	GOH	狗在跑。	The dog is running.
63	Japanese	犬 (Inu)	EE-noo	犬が走ります。	The dog runs.
64	Korean	개 (Gae)	GEH	개가 달려요.	The dog runs.
65	Mongolian	Нохой (Nokhoi)	NOH-khoy	Нохой гүйж байна.	The dog is running.
66	Swahili	Mbwa	M-bwah	Mbwa anakimbia.	The dog runs.
67	Zulu	Inja	EEN-jah	Inja iyagijima.	The dog runs.
68	Afrikaans	Hond	HONT	Die hond hardloop.	The dog runs.
69	Yoruba	Ajá	ah-JAH	Ajá ń sáré.	The dog runs.
70	Haitian Creole	Chen	SHEN	Chen an ap kouri.	The dog is running.

Dog Translations Around the World

The word for dog varies widely across languages. These differences reflect each language’s history, sounds, and grammatical structure.

For example, Spanish uses perro, French uses chien, and Italian uses cane. These Romance languages developed from Latin, yet their everyday words for dogs are quite different.

Germanic languages often share similar vocabulary. German Hund, Dutch hond, Swedish hund, and Afrikaans hond have recognizable similarities.

In Asian languages, the differences are equally interesting. Japanese uses inu, Mandarin Chinese uses gǒu, and Korean uses gae. Each has its own writing system and pronunciation conventions.

Exploring dog translations in different languages is an enjoyable way to build vocabulary and understand how languages express familiar ideas.

Why Do Different Languages Have Different Words for Dog?

Languages develop through centuries of cultural exchange, migration, and linguistic change. As communities evolve, their words can change in pronunciation, spelling, and meaning.

Some languages also distinguish between male and female dogs, puppies and adult dogs, or pets and wild canines.

For instance, Spanish commonly uses perro for a male dog and perra for a female dog. English uses the general word “dog,” while more specific terms such as “puppy” describe a young dog.

These differences show why learning a word in another language sometimes involves more than memorizing a single translation.

Common Dog-Related Words in Different Languages

Learning a few related words can help you use dog vocabulary in everyday conversations.

English Word	Spanish	French	German	Italian
Dog	Perro	Chien	Hund	Cane
Puppy	Cachorro	Chiot	Welpe	Cucciolo
Pet	Mascota	Animal de compagnie	Haustier	Animale domestico
Animal	Animal	Animal	Tier	Animale
Tail	Cola	Queue	Schwanz	Coda
Bark	Ladrido	Aboiement	Bellen	Abbaio
Paw	Pata	Patte	Pfote	Zampa
Walk	Paseo	Promenade	Spaziergang	Passeggiata

The exact word choice may vary with context. For example, Spanish pata can refer to an animal’s leg or paw, while other languages may use different terms depending on the body part.

How to Learn Dog Vocabulary Faster

Learning the word for dog in 70 languages can be easier when you practice a few words at a time.

• Start with familiar languages: Learn Spanish perro, French chien, and German Hund first.
• Practice pronunciation: Read each word aloud and pay attention to unfamiliar sounds.
• Use short sentences: Practice phrases such as “The dog runs” or “The dog sleeps.”
• Learn native scripts: Recognizing words such as 犬, 개, and कुत्ता can help you remember them.
• Review regularly: Revisit a small group of words each day instead of memorizing all 70 at once.
• Connect words with pictures: Associate each word with an image of a dog to strengthen recall.

These techniques are useful for language learners, teachers, travelers, and anyone curious about vocabulary around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you say dog in different languages?

The word “dog” changes across languages. Common translations include perro in Spanish, chien in French, Hund in German, cane in Italian, inu in Japanese, and kutta in Hindi.

2. What is the word for dog in all languages?

There is no single word for dog across all languages. Each language has its own vocabulary, and some languages have multiple words depending on a dog’s age, sex, or context. This article covers 70 languages and their common translations.

3. How do you say dog in Japanese and Chinese?

In Japanese, dog is 犬 (inu). In Mandarin Chinese, it is 狗 (gǒu). Both words are commonly used in everyday conversation.

4. What is dog called in Hindi and Urdu?

In Hindi, dog is कुत्ता (kutta). In Urdu, it is کتا (kutta). The words are closely related and have similar pronunciations, although their scripts differ.

5. Why are dog translations different across languages?

Dog translations differ because languages developed independently and changed over time. Historical influences, local pronunciation patterns, and grammar all contribute to the variety of words used around the world.

Conclusion

Learning the word for dog in different languages is a simple and enjoyable way to explore global vocabulary.

From perro in Spanish and chien in French to inu in Japanese and mbwa in Swahili, each translation offers a small glimpse into another language and culture.

Use this list of 70 dog translations to expand your vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and discover how people around the world talk about their canine companions.

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