Italian · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Animal" in Italian: animale

l'animale

Say it: ah-nee-MAH-lehmasculine · l'animalenoun/a.niˈma.le/

Animal in Italian is l'animale (ah-nee-MAH-leh), a masculine noun. Plural is gli animali. A pet is often un animale domestico.

At the zoo

Qual è il tuo animale preferito?
What is your favourite animal?
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How to pronounce animale

Say it

ah-nee-MAH-leh

/a.niˈma.le/

Animale stresses MAH: ah-nee-MAH-leh. Plural animali keeps the stress pattern: ah-nee-MAH-lee.

"Animal" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
l'animaleanimal

Any animal.

gli animalianimals

Plural.

un animale domesticoa pet

Household animal.

gli animali selvaticiwild animals

Wildlife.

How to use animale in real life

  1. 1At the zoo

    Qual è il tuo animale preferito?

    What is your favourite animal?

    L'animale preferito pattern.

  2. 2Renting a flat

    Accettate animali in appartamento?

    Do you allow animals in the flat?

    Animali in housing ads.

  3. 3On a hike

    Non dare cibo agli animali selvatici.

    Don't feed the wild animals.

    Agli animali.

Mistakes English speakers make with animale

Incorrect: La animale è grande.

Correct: L'animale è grande.

Animale is masculine: l'animale.

Incorrect: I animales sono belli.

Correct: Gli animali sono belli.

Plural is gli animali.

Good to know

Housing rules for animali domestici vary by building. On trains and buses, small pets may travel with rules, so naming l'animale on tickets and notices is useful travel vocabulary.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a nature documentary

  1. ChatPal

    Questo film parla degli animali della savana.

    This film is about savannah animals.

  2. You

    Bello! Il mio animale preferito è l'elefante.

    Nice! My favourite animal is the elephant.

  3. ChatPal

    Anche a me. Poi c'è una parte sugli animali notturni.

    Same here. Then there's a part on nocturnal animals.

  4. You

    Perfetto. Imparo nuove parole sugli animali.

    Perfect. I'll learn new words about animals.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Animal" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Animal" in Italian

Is animale masculine?

Yes: l'animale, un animale piccolo. Plural gli animali.

How do I say pet?

Un animale domestico, or name the pet: cane, gatto.

How do I say favourite animal?

Il mio animale preferito.

Does animale change for female animals?

The noun stays masculine as a category word. Specific animals have their own gender forms (gatto/gatta).

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