Have you ever noticed that animals “talk” differently in every language?
When people search for “animal sounds in different languages”, they’re often curious how other cultures hear and describe the same sounds — a dog’s woof might become wan-wan in Japanese or guau-guau in Spanish!
This fun linguistic journey shows that even though animals make the same noises everywhere, people interpret them through their own cultural ears.
Let’s explore how animal sounds vary across 70 languages — from cats to cows, and dogs to ducks!
🌎 Animal Sounds in 70 Different Languages
(Each translation shows the sound for a dog’s bark — one of the most universal examples!)
- English (🇬🇧) – Woof woof | Pronunciation: woof-woof
Example: The dog goes “woof woof” when excited. - Spanish (🇪🇸) – Guau guau | Pronunciation: gwow-gwow
Example: El perro dice “guau guau”. - French (🇫🇷) – Ouaf ouaf | Pronunciation: wahf-wahf
Example: Le chien fait “ouaf ouaf”. - German (🇩🇪) – Wuff wuff | Pronunciation: voof-voof
Example: Der Hund macht “wuff wuff”. - Italian (🇮🇹) – Bau bau | Pronunciation: bow-bow
Example: Il cane dice “bau bau”. - Portuguese (🇵🇹) – Au au | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: O cachorro faz “au au”. - Russian (🇷🇺) – Гав гав (Gav gav) | Pronunciation: gahv-gahv
Example: Собака говорит “гав гав”. - Chinese (Mandarin) (🇨🇳) – 汪汪 (Wāng wāng) | Pronunciation: wahng-wahng
Example: 狗叫“汪汪”。 - Japanese (🇯🇵) – ワンワン (Wan wan) | Pronunciation: wahn-wahn
Example: 犬は“ワンワン”と吠えます。 - Korean (🇰🇷) – 멍멍 (Meong meong) | Pronunciation: muhng-muhng
Example: 개는 “멍멍” 짖어요. - Arabic (🇸🇦) – هو هو (Haw haw) | Pronunciation: haw-haw
Example: الكلب يقول “هو هو”. - Hindi (🇮🇳) – भौं भौं (Bhaun bhaun) | Pronunciation: bhaon-bhaon
Example: कुत्ता “भौं भौं” करता है। - Urdu (🇵🇰) – بھون بھون (Bhoon bhoon) | Pronunciation: bhoon-bhoon
Example: کتا “بھون بھون” کرتا ہے۔ - Turkish (🇹🇷) – Hav hav | Pronunciation: hahv-hahv
Example: Köpek “hav hav” der. - Greek (🇬🇷) – Γαβ γαβ (Gav gav) | Pronunciation: gahv-gahv
Example: Ο σκύλος λέει “γαβ γαβ”. - Hebrew (🇮🇱) – הב הב (Hav hav) | Pronunciation: hahv-hahv
Example: הכלב נובח “הב הב”. - Thai (🇹🇭) – โฮ่ง โฮ่ง (Hông hông) | Pronunciation: hong-hong
Example: สุนัขเห่า “โฮ่ง โฮ่ง”. - Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Gâu gâu | Pronunciation: gow-gow
Example: Con chó sủa “gâu gâu”. - Swahili (🇰🇪) – Bwa bwa | Pronunciation: bwa-bwa
Example: Mbwa husema “bwa bwa”. - Zulu (🇿🇦) – Hau hau | Pronunciation: how-how
Example: Inja ithi “hau hau”. - Polish (🇵🇱) – Hau hau | Pronunciation: how-how
Example: Pies szczeka “hau hau”. - Dutch (🇳🇱) – Woef woef | Pronunciation: woof-woof
Example: De hond zegt “woef woef”. - Swedish (🇸🇪) – Vov vov | Pronunciation: vohv-vohv
Example: Hunden säger “vov vov”. - Finnish (🇫🇮) – Hau hau | Pronunciation: how-how
Example: Koira sanoo “hau hau”. - Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Vau vau | Pronunciation: vow-vow
Example: A kutya ugat “vau vau”. - Czech (🇨🇿) – Haf haf | Pronunciation: hahf-hahf
Example: Pes štěká “haf haf”. - Romanian (🇷🇴) – Ham ham | Pronunciation: hahm-hahm
Example: Câinele latră “ham ham”. - Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Гав гав (Hav hav) | Pronunciation: hahv-hahv
Example: Собака каже “гав гав”. - Persian (🇮🇷) – واق واق (Vagh vagh) | Pronunciation: vakh-vakh
Example: سگ میگوید “واق واق”. - Malay (🇲🇾) – Guk guk | Pronunciation: gook-gook
Example: Anjing menyalak “guk guk”. - Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Guk guk | Pronunciation: gook-gook
Example: Anjing berkata “guk guk”. - Filipino (🇵🇭) – Aw aw | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: Ang aso ay tumatahol “aw aw”. - Danish (🇩🇰) – Vov vov | Pronunciation: vohv-vohv
Example: Hunden siger “vov vov”. - Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Voof voof | Pronunciation: voof-voof
Example: Hunden bjeffer “voof voof”. - Slovak (🇸🇰) – Haf haf | Pronunciation: hahf-hahf
Example: Pes šteká “haf haf”. - Slovenian (🇸🇮) – Hov hov | Pronunciation: hov-hov
Example: Pes laja “hov hov”. - Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – Бау бау (Bau bau) | Pronunciation: bow-bow
Example: Кучето лае “бау бау”. - Croatian (🇭🇷) – Vau vau | Pronunciation: vow-vow
Example: Pas laje “vau vau”. - Serbian (🇷🇸) – Ав ав (Av av) | Pronunciation: ahv-ahv
Example: Пас лаје “ав ав”. - Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Vau vau | Pronunciation: vow-vow
Example: Pas laje “vau vau”. - Estonian (🇪🇪) – Auh auh | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: Koer haukub “auh auh”. - Latvian (🇱🇻) – Vau vau | Pronunciation: vow-vow
Example: Suns rej “vau vau”. - Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Au au | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: Šuo loja “au au”. - Maltese (🇲🇹) – Ħaw ħaw | Pronunciation: how-how
Example: Il-kelb jgħid “ħaw ħaw”. - Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Voff voff | Pronunciation: voff-voff
Example: Hundurinn segir “voff voff”. - Irish (🇮🇪) – Amh amh | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: An madra ag rá “amh amh”. - Welsh (🏴) – Wff wff | Pronunciation: wuff-wuff
Example: Y ci’n dweud “wff wff”. - Hawaiian (🇺🇸) – Au au | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: ʻĪlio e ʻōlelo ana “au au”. - Maori (🇳🇿) – Au au | Pronunciation: ow-ow
Example: Ka kī te kuri “au au”. - Afrikaans (🇿🇦) – Blaf blaf | Pronunciation: blaf-blaf
Example: Die hond sê “blaf blaf”. - Amharic (🇪🇹) – ውው (Wow wow) | Pronunciation: wow-wow
Example: ውሻው “ውው” ይላል። - Bengali (🇧🇩) – ঘেউ ঘেউ (Ghew ghew) | Pronunciation: ghew-ghew
Example: কুকুর “ঘেউ ঘেউ” করে। - Tamil (🇮🇳) – நாய் நாய் (Naai naai) | Pronunciation: nai-nai
Example: நாய் “நாய் நாய்” என்று குரைக்கும். - Telugu (🇮🇳) – బౌ బౌ (Bow bow) | Pronunciation: bow-bow
Example: కుక్క “బౌ బౌ” అని మొరుగుతుంది. - Kannada (🇮🇳) – ಬೌ ಬೌ (Bow bow) | Pronunciation: bow-bow
Example: ನಾಯಿ “ಬೌ ಬೌ” ಎಂದು ಭುಸಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. - Malayalam (🇮🇳) – ബൗ ബൗ (Bow bow) | Pronunciation: bow-bow
Example: നായ “ബൗ ബൗ” എന്നു കുരയ്ക്കുന്നു. - Gujarati (🇮🇳) – ભૌ ભૌ (Bhau bhau) | Pronunciation: bhau-bhau
Example: કૂતરો “ભૌ ભૌ” કરે છે. - Marathi (🇮🇳) – भों भों (Bhon bhon) | Pronunciation: bhon-bhon
Example: कुत्रा “भों भों” करतो. - Punjabi (🇮🇳/🇵🇰) – ਭੌਂ ਭੌਂ (Bhaun bhaun) | Pronunciation: bhaon-bhaon
Example: ਕੁੱਤਾ “ਭੌਂ ਭੌਂ” ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ। - Nepali (🇳🇵) – भुक भुक (Bhuk bhuk) | Pronunciation: bhuk-bhuk
Example: कुकुर “भुक भुक” गर्छ। - Sinhala (🇱🇰) – බව් බව් (Baw baw) | Pronunciation: bow-bow
Example: බල්ලා “බව් බව්” කියයි. - Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Гав гав (Gav gav) | Pronunciation: gahv-gahv
Example: Нохой “гав гав” гэж хуцна.
🐾 Conclusion
Animal sounds reveal how beautifully diverse human perception is. Whether it’s “woof,” “wan-wan,” “gav,” or “guau,” every culture hears the same bark in its own special way. These sounds remind us that language shapes not just what we say, but how we hear the world around us.
John Preston is a passionate American author known for his insightful storytelling and thought-provoking narratives. With a deep love for literature and a sharp eye for detail, John crafts stories that not only entertain but also inspire reflection and growth. His modern writing style, combined with relatable characters and real-life settings, has earned him a loyal readership across diverse audiences.
Dedicated to exploring human emotions, relationships, and societal challenges, John brings authenticity and depth to every page he writes. When he’s not working on his next manuscript, you can find him in his cozy office, surrounded by books, a warm cup of coffee by his side, and his laptop always within reach.
Some of his most notable works include:
The Silent Echoes
Chasing the Dawn
Beneath the City Lights
Through his writing, John Preston continues to leave a lasting impact, one story at a time.