2018, April

15 Animal Sounds in Spanish

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By Julie Etra

adapted from www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/animal-sounds-in-spanish/

  1. Bees — bzzzz

The verb zumbar describes bees buzzing; zumbar also means to hit, slap. Julie zumpa a la abeja zumbante. Julie swats the buzzing bee.

  1. Dogs — guau

ladrar — to bark; when talking about humans, to make noises without follow-through, to bluster

  1. Ducks — cuac cuac

The verb used to describe a quacking is graznar.

  1. Birds — pío

A pío (“PEE-oh”) is a tweet or chirp.

  1. Roosters — quiquiriquí, kikirikí

The verb in Spanish is cacarear, and when you hear it used with a human as the subject it means to boast about something.

  1. Owls — uu uu

Owls hoot using the verb ulular. The wind, in Spanish, doesn’t howl—it also hoots: El viento ulula.

  1. Cats — miau

Cats can maullar (to meow), bufar (to hiss;), ronronear (to purr) and marramizar (to howl, caterwaul).

  1. Cows — mu

In Spanish cows can mugir (to moo), remudiar (to moo back and forth between calf and cow) and bramar (to moo loudly/angrily). In English, they just moo. Apparently Spanish speaking cows are more intelligent and have better language skills.

  1. Wolves — aúúú

The verb in Spanish is aullar (to howl) and also, as in English, una persona aulla de dolor (a person howls in pain). Otilar and guarrear are additional verb options for wolf howls.

  1. Donkeys — iii-ahh

In Spanish, donkeys bray using the verb and rebuznar. It also means to loudly insult or complain, usually for no good reason.

  1. Doves — cu-curru-cu-cú, cucurrucucú

Check out Caetano Veloso’s version of the song “Cucurrucucú Paloma” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFh5wHUATFc.

  1. Monkeys — i-i-i

Monkeys screech in Spanish. The verb is chillar. It is also very common in describing human shouting, shrieking and yelling.

  1. Turkeys — gluglú

As with English, Spanish has a ridiculous-sounding verb for this ridiculous animal’s ridiculous noises: gluglutear (to gobble).

  1. Sheep, goats — bee, mee

The verb balar describes the bleating of sheep and goats.

  1. Pigs — oinc-oinc

Pigs grunt or oink in Spanish, as described by the verb gruñir, , which also means to complain, mutter and whine.