“호랑이” or “Tiger” and More Animal Names In Korean

Blog
26 July 2023
By Sarah Angela Almaden
Japanese House
Unsplash: Pauline Bernfeld

Once upon a time, in faraway Korea, there lived and ruled a large population of Siberian tigers along its surrounding glorious mountains. These tigers were majestic, strong, powerful, and fierce. They were also close with the Korean people around them. As a result, these mighty striped creatures became highly respected and admired by the Korean people. So much so that they became important characters in Korean stories and folktales representing strength and power, as well as auspicious symbols that protect the people and drive away evil spirits. But the legend of these fearsome tigers doesn't end there because these lucky creatures have now turned into a never ending, important icon of Korean culture. Therefore, their stories are embedded in many aspects of the Korean way of life.

On another note and as we’ve already established, tigers are important animals in Korean culture, especially since Korea is known as the "Land of Tigers.” However, tigers are not the only beloved animals in Korea because the country itself is home to many, many animals. There are dogs in Korea. There are cats in Korea. There are cows in Korea. There are ants in Korea. Don’t forget that there are plenty of bees in Korea, and by the way, beekeeping plays an important role in the Korean economy. This means that these animals, as we know them by their names in English, also have their Korean names. Want to know their Korean names?

  • dog: 개 (gae)
  • cat: 고양이 (goyang-i)
  • pig: 돼지 (dwaeji)
  • horse: 말 (mal)
  • lion: 사자 (saja)
  • tiger: 호랑이 (holang-i)
  • monkey: 원숭이 (wonsung-i)
  • frog: 개구리 (gaeguli)
  • sheep: 양 (yang)
  • camel: 낙타 (nagta)
  • elephant: 코끼리 (kokkili)
  • dolphin: 돌고래 (dolgolae)
  • giraffe: 기린 (gilin)
  • whale: 고래 (golae)
  • duck: 오리 (oli)
  • crab: 게 (ge)
  • shrimp: 새우 (saeu)
  • kangaroo: 캥거루 (kaeng-geolu)
  • sloth: 나무늘보 (namuneulbo)
  • turtle: 거북 (geobug)
  • eagle: 독수리 (dogsuli)
  • swan: 백조 (baegjo)
  • donkey: 당나귀 (dangnagwi)
  • butterfly: 나비 (nabi)
  • bee: 벌 (beol)
  • ant: 개미 (gaemi)
  • fly: 파리 (pali)
  • spider: 거미 (geomi)
  • guinea pig: 기니피그 (ginipigeu)
  • hamster: 햄스터 (haemseuteo)
  • penguin: 펭귄 (peng-gwin)
  • chicken: 닭 (dalg)
  • turkey: 칠면조 (chilmyeonjo)
  • goat: 염소 (yeomso)
  • cow: 소 (so)
  • snake: 뱀 (baem)