animal
[ˈa.nɪ.maɫ]
The Latin word for "animal" is animal.
The word animal is a noun used to refer to any living creature.
Meaning: organism other than human (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes form depending on its role in a sentence. Use animalia for the nominative plural to mean "animals" as a subject. To express possession or relation, use the genitive singular animalis for "of an animal" or the genitive plural animalium for "of animals".
When do people say it?
If you wish to refer specifically to small or cute animals, you can use the diminutive form bestiola.
Did you know?
- While animal refers to creatures in general, Romans often used bestia to describe wild or savage animals, distinguishing them from domesticated pets.
- The word animal shares an ancient root with the Latin word animus, which refers to the 'spirit', 'mind', or 'soul'. This suggests that to the Romans, being an 'animal' was fundamentally tied to having a breath of life or a soul.
- The Latin root anim- in animal is the same root found in English words like 'animate' and 'animated', which describe things that are full of life.
Examples in context
- Hoc animal meum est.This animal is mine.This sentence is useful for showing how to indicate ownership of an animal.Tatoeba #5048363 by alexmarcelo, translation #4468850 by jakob
- Hoc animal docile est.This animal is friendly.This sentence shows how to describe an animal as being friendly.Tatoeba #5048359 by alexmarcelo, translation #1911991 by Spamster
- Equus animal utile est.The horse is a useful animal.This sentence illustrates how to describe an animal as being useful.Tatoeba #5048385 by alexmarcelo, translation #282392 by CM
- In hoc libro discimus de variis animalibusIn this book, we learn about various animals
- Ecce bestiola pulchra et lepida!Behold, a beautiful and cute little animal!
- Ecce animalculum tardigradum!Behold, a tiny tardigrade!
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Quintus are looking at a small creature in the garden.
- JuliaQuid est hoc animal?What is this animal?
- QuintusId est animal parvum.It is a small animal.
- JuliaEstne animal periculosum?Is it a dangerous animal?
- QuintusMinime, Julia, animal benignum est.Not at all, Julia, it is a gentle animal.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry animal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries animal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
