Animal Sounds in Italian

A barking dog is a barking dog—unless that cane happens to live in Italy. Then, instead of "bow-wow", he'll be yapping "bau-bau".

At least that's how an Italian would describe the sound.

So do Italian animals speak a different language?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Languages aren't only about pronunciation, they're about what you hear, and Italian, like other languages, represents animal sounds differently than what an English, Japanese, or French speaker might expect.

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It's not a case of teaching Fido to speak Italian, but it’s simply because Italians, as a result of being immersed in that language, have different ways of describing animal sounds.

What Sounds do Italian Animals Make?

Italians describe the sound dogs make with the verb abbaiare (to bark) and the sound itself as bau bau.

Below is a vocabulary list for other verbs associated with particular animal sounds, plus some of the phonetic spellings:

• le api ronzano - the bees buzz; sound: zzzzzz
• gli asini ragliano - the donkeys hee-haw; sound: i-oo, i-oo
• i cani abbaiano - the dogs bark; sound: bau bau
• le galline chiocciano - the hens cluck; sound: co-co-dè, co-co-dè
• le cicale friniscono - the cicadas chirrup; sound: cri-cri-cri or fri-fri-fri
• i corvi gracchiano - the crows caw; sound: cra cra
•  i cavalli nitriscono - the horses neigh; sound: hiiiii
•  i cuculi cantano - the cuckoos sing; sound: cucú, cucú, cucú
• i galli cantano - the roosters sing; sound: chicchirichí
• i gatti miagolano - the cats meow; sound: miao
• i leoni ruggiscono - the lions roar; sound:  grrrrrr
• i lupi  ululano - the wolves howl; sound: auuuuhh
• i maiali grugniscono - the pigs snort; sound: oink

FUN FACT: “Oink” is derived from English influence. In the oldest “topolino - Mickey Mouse” the pigs go “gruf-gruf”.

• le mucche muggiscono - the cows moo; sound: muuuuuu
• le oche starnazzano - the geese quack; sound: qua qua
• le pecore belano - the sheep bleat; sound: beeee
• i pulcini pigolano - the chicks squeak; sound: pio pio
• le rane gracidano - the frogs croak; sound: cra cra
• i serpenti sibilano - the snakes hiss; sound: zssssssss
• i topi squittiscono - the mice squeak; sound: squitt squitt
• gli uccelli cinguettano - the birds chirp; sound: cip cip

Nella Vecchia Fattoria

Everyone knows the preschool song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."

Try singing Nella Vecchia Fattoria (the Italian version of the famous song), though, and the animal sounds in Italian take on a different tune:

Il testo - The lyrics