Photo taken and used with permission from Kandle Dart

We have all learned vocabulary about animals at an early age. Most toddlers become attached to some kind of stuffed animal toy as their “buddy” on their beds, or have an actual pet to play with. Trips to the zoo is often on the list for children’s school field trips and family vacation itineraries. We all love animals to different degrees, right? Let’s get familiarized with some vocabulary about animals.

COMMON FARM ANIMALS

Photo taken and used with permission from Kandle Dart

COMMON AQUATIC ANIMALS

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COMMON WILD ANIMALS

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COMMON BIRDS

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EXPRESSIONS RELATED TO ANIMALS

• Ăn như mèo: Literally translated to “eat like a cat”. Figuratively, it means eat so little.
• Ăn như hổ: Literally translated to “eat like a tiger”. Figuratively, it means eat a big portion.
• Ăn như heo: Literally translated to “eat like a pig”. Figuratively, it means eat a lot of everything indiscriminately.
• Ngu như bò: Literally translated to “stupid like a cow”. Figuratively, it means not intelligent
• Nhát như thỏ: Literally translated to “being afraid like a rabbit”. Figuratively, it means easily scared of anything.
• Gan như hùm: Literally translated to “brave like a tiger”. Figuratively, it means brave and daring.
• Chậm như rùa: Literally translated to “slow like a turtle”. Figuratively, it means very slow.
• Làm như trâu: Literally translated to “work like a buffalo”. Figuratively, it means workaholic, hardworking.
• Ngang như cua: Literally translated to “cross like a crab”. Figuratively, it means stubbornly unreasonable, argumentative.
• Câm như hến: Literally translated to “mute like a clam”. Figuratively, it means to hardly open the mouth and say anything.
• Giọng như vịt đực: Literally translated to “sound like a duck”. Figuratively, it means hoarse voice, or not a clear voice.
• Nói như sáo: Literally translated to “speak like a blackbird”. Figuratively, it means talkative.
• Dai như đỉa: Literally translated to “tough as leeches”. Figuratively, it means persistent.
• Rách như tổ đỉa: Literally translated to “torn like the leech’s nest. Figuratively, it means very poor.

Follow me to the next blog, I’ll talk about the Vietnamese sacred animals.

Photo taken and used with permission from Kandle Dart