Animals

1. 狗

   Gǒu

   Dog

   Usage

   Worth knowing: "gǒu yǎo wǒ le" (a dog bit me). Rabies shots are available at hospitals

2. 猫

   Māo

   Cat

   Usage

   Common in alleys and parks. A cat café is abbreviated "māokā"

3. 鸟

   Niǎo

   Bird

   Usage

   Early morning parks fill with people carrying birdcages. A bird market is "huāniǎo shìchǎng"

4. 鱼

   Yú

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word covers the animal and the dish. In markets fish are usually sold alive

5. 马

   Mǎ

   Horse

   Usage

   You can ride on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia or Xinjiang. "Qí mǎ" means to ride a horse

6. 牛

   Niú

   Cow

   Usage

   Beef is "niúròu". In slang the same character is also praise meaning "awesome"

7. 猪

   Zhū

   Pig

   Usage

   Pork is "zhūròu" — in Chinese cooking an unqualified "meat" means pork

8. 鸡

   Jī

   Chicken

   Usage

   Chicken meat is "jīròu". Also useful for showing what you need to avoid

9. 鸭子

   Yāzi

   Duck

   Usage

   Peking duck is "Běijīng kǎoyā" — dish names use the single character "yā"

10. 鹅

    É

    Goose

    Usage

    Common in village yards. They will chase people, so keep your distance

11. 羊

    Yáng

    Sheep

    Usage

    The main meat of northwestern cooking. "Yángròuchuàn" is lamb skewers

12. 山羊

    Shānyáng

    Goat

    Usage

    Use it when you need to distinguish goats from sheep ("miányáng"). Grazed in mountain villages

13. 大象

    Dàxiàng

    Elephant

    Usage

    Wild Asian elephants live in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Keep your distance in the reserves

14. 猴子

    Hóuzi

    Monkey

    Usage

    On Emeishan and Huangshan they go for tourists' bags. Do not show food or make eye contact

15. 老虎

    Lǎohǔ

    Tiger

    Usage

    A few wild Siberian tigers remain in the northeast. Mostly you will use it at a zoo or about artwork

16. 熊猫

    Xióngmāo

    Panda

    Usage

    Chengdu in Sichuan is the place to see them. The formal name is "dàxióngmāo" (giant panda)

17. 骆驼

    Luòtuo

    Camel

    Usage

    You can ride one at Mingsha Shan in Dunhuang or in the Inner Mongolian desert. "Qí luòtuo" is to ride a camel

18. 蛇

    Shé

    Snake

    Usage

    You may meet one on southern trails or in paddies. If bitten, show "bèi shé yǎo le" and get to a hospital fast

19. 乌龟

    Wūguī

    Turtle

    Usage

    Seen in temple ponds and markets. A symbol of long life, but applied to a person it is an insult — avoid that

20. 青蛙

    Qīngwā

    Frog

    Usage

    Deafening at night in rice-growing regions. The edible bullfrog is "niúwā"

21. 壁虎

    Bìhǔ

    Gecko

    Usage

    Lives on the walls and ceilings of southern guesthouses. Harmless, and it eats mosquitoes

22. 蜥蜴

    Xīyì

    Lizard

    Usage

    Seen on stone walls and mountain paths. Use it when you need to distinguish it from a gecko ("bìhǔ")

23. 老鼠

    Lǎoshǔ

    Mouse / Rat

    Usage

    Use it to report one to the front desk. "Fángjiān lǐ yǒu lǎoshǔ" means there is a rat in my room

24. 兔子

    Tùzi

    Rabbit

    Usage

    Comes up with the Mid-Autumn moon-rabbit story. In Sichuan and Chongqing rabbit is also eaten

25. 蝙蝠

    Biānfú

    Bat

    Usage

    Seen at dusk in old towns and limestone caves. "Fú" sounds like "good fortune", so bats appear in lucky motifs

26. 蚊子

    Wénzi

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Show it to ask for a coil or repellent at your guesthouse. "Yǒu wénzi" means there are mosquitoes

27. 蟑螂

    Zhāngláng

    Cockroach

    Usage

    The most persuasive reason to ask for a different room. Show it at the front desk

28. 蚂蚁

    Mǎyǐ

    Ant

    Usage

    They always find food left in a room. Show it when you need housekeeping

29. 蜜蜂

    Mìfēng

    Bee

    Usage

    If stung, say "bèi mìfēng zhē le". Hornets are "mǎfēng" and far more dangerous

30. 蜘蛛

    Zhīzhū

    Spider

    Usage

    Common in old guesthouses and mountain huts. Nearly all are harmless

31. 蜈蚣

    Wúgōng

    Centipede

    Usage

    Found in damp places in the south; the bite hurts badly. Check inside your shoes before putting them on

32. 蝴蝶

    Húdié

    Butterfly

    Usage

    Dali in Yunnan has a famous spot called Húdiéquán, the Butterfly Spring

33. 苍蝇

    Cāngying

    Fly

    Usage

    Common at street stalls. Note that "cāngying guǎnzi" is actually praise for a cheap, delicious hole-in-the-wall

34. 水母

    Shuǐmǔ

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    Appears off Qingdao and Sanya in summer. If stung, say "bèi shuǐmǔ zhē le"

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