Hebrew Animal Names: From "Kelev" to "Arye"

Animals are one of the first vocabulary groups every Hebrew learner wants to tackle, partly because it's fun and partly because you'll actually need these words on walks, at the zoo, and when complimenting an Israeli's dog. Here's a quick tour of Hebrew animal names, with the ones you'll use most at the top.

Common pets and street animals

• Kelev (כֶּלֶב), dog.
• Chatul (חָתוּל), cat.
• Tzipor, bird.
• Dag, fish.
• Arnav, rabbit.
• Hamster, hamster (same as English).
• Tzav, turtle.

Dogs and cats are everywhere in Tel Aviv. The city has more dogs per capita than almost any other city in the world, and cats roam freely in every neighborhood.

Farm and barn animals

• Para, cow.
• Sus (סוּס), horse.
• Chazir, pig.
• Keves, sheep.
• Ez, goat.
• Tarnegol, rooster. Tarnegolet, hen.
• Chamor, donkey.

If you visit a kibbutz or a petting zoo, these are the animal names you'll see on little signs.

Wild animals

• Arye (אַרְיֵה), lion.
• Namer, tiger.
• Dov, bear.
• Ze'ev, wolf.
• Shu'al, fox.
• Zebra, zebra.
• Pil, elephant.
• Kof, monkey.
• Giraffa, giraffe.

Most of these you'll encounter at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem or on wildlife shows.

Birds

• Tzipor, bird (generic).
• Yonah, dove.
• Nesher, eagle.
• Orev, raven.
• Tarnegol hodu, turkey (literally "Indian rooster").

Sea animals

• Dag, fish.
• Dolfin, dolphin.
• Kar'ish, shark.
• Lavyatan, whale.
• Dag tuna, tuna (literally "tuna fish").

Fun fact: Tel Aviv's Mediterranean coast is full of fish, dolphins, and the occasional sea turtle. Locals know the waters well.

Small critters

• Nemala, ant.
• Zvuv, fly.
• Yatush, mosquito. (Your summer enemy.)
• Dvora, bee.
• Parpar, butterfly.
• Akaviv... actually, akaveesh, spider.
• Nachash, snake.

A few useful animal phrases

• Yesh li kelev, I have a dog.
• Ha-chatul shelcha yafe, your cat is beautiful.
• Ayzeh kelev chamud!, what a cute dog!
• Efshar lelatef et ha-kelev?, can I pet the dog?

That last one is a phrase I use three times a week in Tel Aviv. Dog owners are happy to let strangers say hello to their dogs, and it's one of the easiest ways to start a friendly interaction on the street.

Animal idioms worth knowing

Hebrew, like every language, has a few animal-based expressions:

• Mesha'amem ki sus, boring as a horse. (It actually means "really boring".)
• Choref shel kelevim, a dog's winter. Used for a miserable, cold winter.
• Ayzeh chatul!, what a cat! (Meaning "what a sly one".)

These are the kind of expressions that make you sound more native once you start dropping them in.

Practice move

Next time you're walking outside, name every animal you see in Hebrew. A pigeon (yonah), a street cat (chatul rechov), a dog on a leash (kelev). Ten minutes of walking can add five new words to your permanent vocabulary.

For more animal vocabulary with images and audio, our topics pages include a detailed animal list, and our phrases section has more everyday sentences you can use.

Animals are everywhere, and so is the vocabulary. Put it to work on your next walk.