Animals are usually one of the first vocabulary sets a child picks up in any language — they're concrete, easy to picture, and easy to act out. These 8 Korean animal words are a good first set for a beginner, kid or adult.
8 everyday animals
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 개 | gae | Dog |
| 고양이 | goyangi | Cat |
| 새 | sae | Bird |
| 물고기 | mulgogi | Fish |
| 말 | mal | Horse |
| 소 | so | Cow |
| 돼지 | dwaeji | Pig |
| 양 | yang | Sheep |
A tip for practicing at home
Point at a real animal — a pet, a picture book, a plush toy — and say the Korean word out loud rather than asking a child to read it silently. Animal words are naturally repeatable throughout the day (a walk, a farm visit, a bedtime book), which does more for retention than a single flashcard session.
Korean for Kids: Learn Hangul teaches these words with native Korean audio and illustrations for every animal. See the full Korean vocabulary for kids list, or browse Korean colors for kids next.