Some of the first sounds we learn to imitate as babies are the sounds animals supposedly make. I say supposedly, since each language has its own idea about what those sounds are. While most people hear the mewing of a cat in a similar way (some variant of mee-ow), there is a huge range of opinion about how best to represent the grunting of a pig (see below).
I’ve always thought the silliest animal sound in English is the traditional “cock-a-doodle-doo” attributed to the rooster. To my ear, the Hungarian “kukuriku” or the Portuguese “cucurucu,” come much closer to the sound of the original since roosters don’t really have the ability to pronounce distinct words as humans do.
Here then are some of the more interesting variations on common animal sounds (transliterated into the Latin alphabet as necessary).
Pig (grunting)
- Danish: øf-øf
- Dutch: knor knor
- French: groin groin
- German: grunz
- Hungarian: röf-röf
- Japanese: boo boo
- Russian: hrgu-hrgu
- Swedish: nöff-nöff
Cat (purring)
- Danish: pierr
- Dutch: prrr
- Finnish: hrr
- French: ronron
- German: srr
- Hungarian: doromb
- Japanese: goro goro
- Russian: mrr
- Spanish: rrr
Small Dog (barking)
- Danish: vov-vov
- Dutch: waf waf
- Finnish: hau hau
- French: ouah ouah
- German: wau wau
- Hebrew: how-how
- Hungarian: vau vau
- Italian: arf arf/bau bau
- Japanese: kian kian
- Russian: hav-hav/gav-gav
- Spanish: guau/gua
- Swedish: bjäbb-bjäbb
- Turkish: hev hev
Rooster (crowing)
- Danish: kykyliky
- Dutch: kukeleku
- Finnish: kukko kiekuu
- French: cocorico
- German: kikeriki
- Greek: kikiriku/kikiriki
- Hebrew: coo-koo-ri-koo
- Hungarian: kukuriku
- Italian: chicchirichi
- Japanese: ko-ke-kok-ko-o
- Portuguese: cucurucu
- Russian: kukareku
- Swedish: kuckeliku
- Turkish: kuk-kurri-kuuu
- Urdu: kuklooku
Source: Dr. Derek Abbott’s Homepage
January 2nd, 2007 at 8:28 am
Jajaja… Gringo loco… also known as a moron.
January 7th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Ive been looking for this webpage.
Also want to know how train sound, bell sound etc are perceived in different languages.
Also want to know – peacock. proud in some cultures, beautiful in some other. Wish someone wrote a book on this subject
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
great list! very amusing… we should start adding other sounds such as the sound we make when we tickle toddlers…gootchie gootchie…gili gili …. etc…
November 1st, 2009 at 2:26 pm
My English Language Learners and I thank you very much for the information! Great source!
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
COOOL BUT A LITTLE BAD BEZ U NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A SOUND TO HELP U SAY THE WORD