Azizan
Animals in Persian: 12 animal words for kids
The most useful first Persian animal words are gorbe (cat), sag (dog), gorg (wolf) and shir (lion). Animals are a natural early topic because children meet them in picture books and in folktales. Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app where relatives record themselves reading Persian children's stories; this page is a short word list for parents and grandparents.
Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app for immigrant and diaspora families: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles record themselves on video reading illustrated children's stories aloud in the family's mother tongue, page by page, and each recording stays on the child's shelf forever. Real family voices — never AI narration. Persian (Farsi) first.
Persian animal words
| English | Persian | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| cat | گربه | gorbe |
| dog | سگ | sag |
| bird | پرنده | parande |
| fish | ماهی | maahi |
| horse | اسب | asb |
| rabbit | خرگوش | khargoosh |
| wolf | گرگ | gorg |
| lion | شیر | shir |
| fox | روباه | rooba |
| crow | کلاغ | kalaagh |
| goat | بز | boz |
| sheep | گوسفند | goosfand |
Pronunciation is approximate and written for English speakers; accents vary, so ask your relatives how they say them. Note that shir is also the Persian word for milk; context tells you which is meant.
Animals you will meet in Persian stories
- The wolf (gorg) and the goats appear in Shangul and Mangul.
- A wolf and a lion (shir) are talked out of eating the heroine in Kadoo Ghelgheleh-zan, the rolling pumpkin.
- For more tales with animals, see Persian folktales for kids.
Easy ways to practise
- Picture books: point at an animal and say its Persian name.
- Zoo or park: name the first animal you see.
- Animal sounds game: you say the Persian word, the child makes the sound.
We have not found a study showing which method works best for heritage-language children, so treat these as ideas to try rather than a programme.
Animal words with a relative on video
A grandparent can name the animals while turning the pages of an illustrated story. On Azizan, relatives record themselves reading Persian stories page by page, so the child hears familiar voices. See how to record a story video for grandchildren.
Related guides
- Colors in Persian for kids
- Count to ten in Persian for kids
- Persian folktales for kids
- Days of the week in Persian for kids
Questions
How do you say cat in Persian?
گربه (gorbe). Dog is سگ (sag) and bird is پرنده (parande).
How do you say wolf and lion in Persian?
Wolf is گرگ (gorg) and lion is شیر (shir). Shir also means milk.
Do I need to read Persian to teach animal words?
No. The pronunciation guide is enough to start, and a relative can say the words on video.
Which Persian stories have animals in them?
Shangul and Mangul (wolf and goats) and Kadoo Ghelgheleh-zan (wolf and lion) are two folktales you can read with young children.
Open Azizan — record a story for your childUpdated: 2026-11-03 · By Aida Fard
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