Fi dis haatikl, mi da guh hexpagorate nof difrahn animal (mhuka) az piipl kaal dem iin chiShona langwij (ah Chivanhu). Mi nuo deh a nof a dem pon oert, an fi dat riizn, mi nuh guh rait dong di les papiula wan habrij pesin wudn nuo fram di tap a fi dem ed.
Pets
| English | ChiShona |
|---|---|
| Cat (felis catus) | Mangoi, Katsi, Kitsi or Chikiti |
| Kitten | Chidharimbo |
| Dog (canis lupus familiaris) | Imbwa (slang Bhoki) |
| Puppy | Mbwanana, Handa or Kutu |
| Male dog | Mukuno wembwa, Imbwa hono |
| Female dog (bitch) | Imbwa hadzi |
| Old dog | Hodya |
| Rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus) | Shuro or Tsuro |
| Male rabbit (buck) | Dzuramombe, Shuradanda, Hono yeshuro, Mukono weshuro or Tsuro |
| Female rabbit (doe) | Tsuro hadzi or Nhunzvi yetsuro |
| A young rabbit (leveret) | Nhohwa, Nhova or Mwana wetsuro |
Farm animals
| English | ChiShona |
|---|---|
| Cattle (bos taurus) | Mombe, Ngombe or N'ombe |
| Bull | Bhuru, Handira, Ngunzi or Hando |
| Bull-calf | Kanzombe or Chingondora |
| Ox | Nzombe, Jon'osi or Dhonza |
| Cow | Mhou |
| Barren cow | Mhorombe or Ramba |
| Heifer | Tsiru |
| Sheep (ovis aries) | Hwai or Gwai |
| Male Sheep (ram) | Hondowe or Gondobwe |
| Young ram | Hondowe |
| Female sheep (ewe) | Nhunzvi yehwai |
| Young ewe | Sheche |
| Lamb | Hwayana or Gwayana |
| Pig (sus scrofa domesticus) | Nguruve, Humba, Hochi, Kuja (slang Bhazhe) |
| Piglet (sus domesticus) | Ngurwana, Chigu, Chana chenguruve (slang Bhazhlet) |
| Goat (capra aegagrus hircus) | Mbudzi |
| Male goat (billy-goat) | Hotora, Gotora, Nhongo or Mbocho |
| Female soat (she-goat) | Dimbura, Mhandaudzi or Nhunzvi yembudzi |
| Yung guot (kid) | Mbudzana |
| Turkey (meleagris) | Ngarukuni or Garukuni (slang Toki, Tocky) |
| Male turkey (tom/gobbler) | Jongwe regarukuni |
| Female turkey (hen) | Nhunzvi yegarukuni |
| Chicken (gallus gallus domesticus) | Huku |
| Male chicken (rooster/cock) | Jongwe |
| Female chicken (hen) | Mhambo or Huku nhunzvi |
| Chicken (gallus gallus domesticus) | Huku |
| Male chicken (rooster/cock) | Jongwe |
| Female chicken (hen) | Mhambo or Huku nhunzvi |
| A hen das boht fi lay eggdem | Tseketsa |
| Young chick | Nhiyo, Chitiyo, Hukwana or Huku nduku |
| Duck (anas platyrhynchos) | Shambira, Dhadha or Dhakisi |
| Male duck (drake) | Gono redhadha |
| Female duck (hen) | Nhunzvi yedhadha |
| Young duck (duckling) | Chana chedhadha |
| Horse (equus caballus) | Bhiza or Hachi |
| Male horse (stallion) | Bhiza gono or Gono rebhiza |
| Female horse (mare) | Bhiza gadzi or Gadzi rebhiza |
| Young male horse (coat) | Mhuru |
| Young female horse (filly) | Jeche |
| Donkey (equus asinus) | Dhongwi, Dhongi, Mbongoro or Mubhemhe |
| Young donkey (equus asinus) | Dongana |
Birds (shiri)
| English | ChiShona |
|---|---|
| African blue quail (excalfactoria adansonii) | Chihuta |
| African fish eagle (haliaeetus vocifer) | Hungwe |
| African golden oriole (oriolus auratus) | Chidzvururu |
| African hoopoe (pupa africana) | Mhupupu |
| African paradise flycatcher (terpsiphone viridis) | Jayaguru |
| African grey woodpecker (dendropicos goertae) | Chiwowodza |
| Augur buzzard (buteo augur) | Nyamudzura |
| Bateleur eagle (terathopius ecaudatus) | Chapungu (i.e. Zimbabwean bird) |
| Bee-eater (meropidae) | Bonganyuchi |
| Black-bellied bustard/Korhaan (lissotis melanogaster) | Muchadya |
| Black-collared barbet (lybius torquatus) | Chikweguru |
| Black coucal (centropus grillii) | Murenda |
| Black-headed oriole | Gochihwo, Mutoweguru or Godowa |
| Black-shouldered kite | Ngavi |
| Bustard (otididae) | Gaudya |
| Cape bushbuck (tragelaphus sylvaticus) | Dzoma |
| Cape crow (corvus capensis) | Chikunguobaya |
| Cape clapper lark (mirafra apiata) | Chibakobwerabwera |
| Cape file snake (limaformosa capensis) | Mhunzamusha or Ndara |
| Cape starling (lamprotornis nitens) | Hwidzikwidzi |
| Cattle egret (bubulcus ibis) | Dzoran'ombe or Fudzamombe |
| Cinnamon-breasted bunting (emberiza tahapisi) | Tindiri |
| Dark-capped bulbul (pycnonotus tricolor) | Chigwenhure |
| Dove (columbidae) | Njiva |
| Emerald-spotted wood dove (turtur chalcospilos) | Mutondo |
| Laughing dove (spilopelia senegalensis) | Mhetura or Tagurukutana |
| Red-eyed dove (streptopelia semitorquata) | Bvukutiwa or Vhukutihwa |
| Ring-necked dove/cape turtle dove (streptopelia capicola) | Gukutihwa |
| Namaqua dove (oena capensis) | Dzembe, Nhondoro, Bomho or Nzembe |
| Tambourine dove (turtur tympanistria) | Chigurawasakura or Rupinda |
| Domestic pigeon (columba livia domestica) | Hangaiwa |
| Fiscal shrike (lanius collaris) | Chisamaura |
| Young fiscal shrike | Nyamutunge or Korera |
| Flappet lark (mirafra rufocinnamomea) | Chinyamabururu |
| Galagos (galagidae) | Gwee |
| Green pigeons (treron) | Hwiriti |
| Green-winged pytilia (pytilia melba) | Zazo or Njekedya |
| Grey lourie (corythaixoides concolor) | Funye or Kuwe |
| Hamerkop (scopus umbretta) | Gondo or Kondo |
| Helmeted guineafowl (numida meleagris) | Hanga |
| Hornbill (bucerotidae) | Dendera or Hoto |
| Jacobin cuckoo (clamator jacobinus) | Haya |
| Kingfisher (alcedinidae) | Kanyururahove |
| Lilac-breasted roller (coracias caudatus) | Gatahwa |
| Lizard hawk (kaupifalco monogrammicus) | Chikondomasvinyu |
| Long-tailed paradise whydah (vidua paradisaea) | Muswewadepa |
| Kittlitz's plover (charadrius pecuarius) | Hurekure |
| Martial eagle (polemaetus bellicosus) | Chinyamudzura or Dorambudzi |
| Mopane worms (gonimbrasia belina) | Madora, Masodya or Mashonja |
| Oxpecker (buphagus) | Chidyamadari |
| Owl (strigiformes) | Zizi |
| Paradise flycatcher (terpsiphone) | Kateredemu |
| Parrot (psittaciformes) | Chihwehwe |
| Partridges, francolins (perdicinae) | Gwari |
| Pheasants (phasianinae) | Horwe |
| Pied crow (corvus albus) | Gunguo or Musavara |
| Pin-tailed whydah (vidua macroura) | Tsekedzamakaya, Tsekedzamutsetse or Tsvikidzamakaya |
| European quail (coturnix coturnix) | Chihuta |
| Red bishop (euplectes orix) | Chikenya or Nyamafuro |
| Riverine bird | Katewetewe |
| Secretary bird (sagittarius serpentarius) | Hwata, Jowamuchowa or Mukwasi |
| Stork (ciconiidae) | Dambiramurove, Mushore or Shuramurove |
| Swainson's spurfowl (pternistis swainsonii) | Gwarimutondo |
| Tropical boubou (laniarius major) | Chinhanga |
| Trumpeter hornbill (bycanistes bucinator) | Gakamira |
| Waterbirds | Gukurwizi |
| Wild duck or Mallard (anas platyrhynchos) | Sambira or Sekwe |
| Yellow wagtail (motacilla flava) | Kanzvidya |
Wild animals (mhuka dzesango)
| English | ChiShona |
|---|---|
| African buffalo (syncerus caffer) | Nyati |
| African lynx (caracal caracal) | Hwana |
| African savanna elephant (loxodonta africana) | Nzou, Zhou |
| Young savanna elephant | Mhuru |
| African wildcat (felis lybica) | Chibon'a, Chibonga, Nhiriri |
| African wilddog (lycaon pictus) | Mhumhi or Bumbururwi |
| Young african wilddog | Handa |
| Aardvark or Antbear (orycteropus afer) | Gweru, Gwiribidi, Gwiba or Hwiribidi |
| Cape house snake (boaedon capensis) | Tsvoti or Dzvoti |
| Baboon (papio) | Bveni, Gudo, Dede, Mukanya or Mutiro |
| Male baboon | Hombiro, Mbombo or Horomba |
| Female baboon | Mboi, Chikoyo, Nzenza, Svambara, Mhandakadzi, Sheriwa or Gonyo |
| Young baboon | Rushiye, Rutwiyo, Chisamakei, Mujembwa, Shokorani or Shokorupani |
| Banded mongoose (mungos mungo) | Dzvororo |
| Black mamba (dendroaspis polylepis) | Mubobo, Nzayo or Rovambira |
| Blue duiker (philantomba monticola) | Ndundu |
| Blue wildebeest (connochaetes taurinus) | Mvumba |
| Boomslang (dispholidus typus) | Mhangura |
| Camel (camelus dromedarius) | Ngamera |
| Cape grysbok (raphicerus melanotis) | Mhiti |
| Cape wild dog (lycaon pictus pictus) | Bumhi |
| Cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) | Dindingwe |
| Crocodile (crocodylinae) | Garwe, Ngwena or Goko |
| Male crocodile | Gambinga |
| Old male crocodile | Hwereshanga |
| Young crocodile | Ganyamatope |
| Duiker (cephalophinae) | Mhembwe or Mhengwe |
| Male duiker | Dimura, Dimbura |
| Female duiker | Bembwa, Sheshe, Dunzvi |
| Young duiker | Tsvana, Hwishu, Chimera or Mhembwana |
| Egyptian cobra (naja haje) | Mhungu |
| Eland (taurotragus oryx) | Mhofu, Shava or Nhuka |
| Greater kudu (tragelaphus strepsiceros) | Mukwende, Nhoro or Nzirawa |
| Male kudu | Shurama |
| Female kudu | Marumbeni or Gurukadzi |
| Young kudu | Mhuru |
| Green water snake (nerodia cyclopion) | Mbunzvi |
| Hedgehog (erinaceinae) | Shoni or Tyoni |
| Hippopotamus (hippopotamus amphibius) | Mvuu |
| Young hippopotamus | Handachibvuwa |
| Hook-lipped rhinoceros (diceros bicornis | Chipembere or Nhema |
| Hyena (hyaenidae) | Bere |
| Young hyenas | Magwinhi or Magondo |
| Giraffe (giraffa) | Twiza, Swiza or Furiramudenga |
| Leopard (panthera pardus) | Mbada, Ingwe |
| Lichtenstein's hartebeest (alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii) | Hwiranondo or Nhondoshava |
| Lion (panthera leo) | Shumba, Mhondoro or Gombwe |
| Lowland nyala (tragelaphus angasii) | Nyara |
| Marsh mongoose (atilax paludinosus) | Chidzvororo |
| Monkey (cercopithecidae) | Tsoko, Soko, or Shoko |
| Old male monkey | Hwandamakwakwa |
| Young monkey | Shokorupani, Shokorana |
| Otter (lutrinae) | Mbiti, Nzvidzi, Binza, Denhe or Chipu |
| Porcupine | Ngwewewe or Nungu |
| Puff adder (bitis arietans) | Chiva |
| Python (pythonidae) | Shato |
| Red rock hare (pronolagus) | Guhwe |
| Reedbuck (redunca) | Bimha or Gurukuru |
| Male reedbuck | Hote |
| Female reedbuck | Gurukadzi |
| Young reedbuck | Tsvana |
| Rinkhals (hemachatus haemachatus) | Mbeza |
| Roan antelope (hippotragus equinus) | Chengu or Ndunguza |
| Sable antelope (hippotragus niger) | Mharapara or Ngwarati |
| Male sable antelope | Honde |
| Female sable antelope | Gurukadzi |
| Young sable antelope | Mhuru |
| Sassaby or tsessebe (damaliscus lunatus lunatus) | Nhondo or Nondo |
| Savannah monitor (varanus exanthematicus) | Gwariwasha, Gwashadombo, or Gwarikwari |
| Savanna vine snake (thelotornis capensis) | Kangemiti, Kangamiti or Nyarufuro |
| Honey badger (mellivora capensis) | Sere or Tsere |
| Side-striped jackal (canis adustus) | Jakarasi |
| Slender mongoose or black-tipped mongoose (galerella sanguinea) | Kovo, Hovo or Govo |
| Snouted cobra (naja annulifera) | Nyamafingu or Nyamafungu |
| Snouted night adder (causus defilippii) | Chindarumebwe |
| Tiger (panthera tigris) | Ingwe |
| Tortoise (testudinidae) | Kamba |
| Warthog (phacochoerus africanus) | Njiri |
| Male warthog | Hwami |
| Young warthog | Chinjerete |
| Waterbuck (kobus ellipsiprymnus) | Change or Dhumukwa |
| Water monitor | Burwa or Tsamba |
| White rhino or Black rhino | Chipembere or Fura |
| Zebra (equus quagga) | Dhuve or Mbizi |
| Male zebra | Mukono wembizi |
| Female zebra | Gurukadzi or Njenjeta |
| Young zebra | Mhuru |
Small animals and insects
| English | ChiShona |
|---|---|
| African bullfrog (pyxicephalus adspersus) | Dzetse |
| African pygmy mouse | Mukuyadenhe |
| African striped skink (trachylepis striata) | Dvombi, Gotyo or Dvinyu |
| Baboon spider (harpactira gigas) | Buwe |
| Bagworms (psychidae) | Tumbare |
| Bat (chiroptera) | Chiremwaremwa or Muremwaremwa |
| Bee | Nyuchi |
| Queen bee | Zimai renyuchi |
| Bed-bugs (cimex lectularius) | Tsikidzi |
| Blesmols (bathyergidae) | Dumunyu, Nhuta |
| Bombardier beetle (carabidae) | Dundira |
| Bont-legged tick (amblyomma hebraeum) | Dira |
| Butterfly | Bembenene, Betepesu, Furafura, Shaveshave or Shavishavi |
| Cane rat | Gonzo, Senzu, Tsenzi, or Tsenzu |
| Carpenter bee (xylocopa) | Dzingidzi or Zingizi |
| Chafer beetle | Ndere |
| Crab (brachyura) | Gakandye |
| Dragonfly | Mukonikoni |
| Dung beetle | Ngoko, Nyamututa or Chituta |
| Dwarf shrew | Mutswiri or Muswiri |
| Elephant shrew | Mudune |
| Frog (anura) | Chura, Dafi, Zura, Jedye or Datya |
| Gastropods | Hozhwa |
| Gerbil (gerbillinae) | Banya |
| Gnat | Unyunyu |
| Grasshoppers, locusts (acrididae) | Hwiza, Mbumu, Ndongwe or Mhotanomusha |
| Greater dwarf shrew (suncus lixus) | Dzwitswitswi |
| Huntsman spider (sparassidae) | Dzvatsvatsva |
| Invisible spider (drapetisca socialis) | Dandemutande |
| Lizard | Dzvinyu or Mukotyo |
| Migratory locust (locusta migratoria) | Mbumu |
| Jerusalem cricket (stenopelmatus) | Gurwe |
| Vespinae wasps | Mago Ruswa or Igo Ruswa |
| Millipedes (diplopoda) | Zongororo |
| Mosquitoes (culicidae) | Umhutu or Utunga |
| Mud dauber wasp (sceliphron caementarium) | Mago Mombe or Igo Mombe |
| Rock dormouse (graphiurus platyops) | Chisimbwindi, Chisindimbeva or Tsindimbeva |
| Rock hyrax (procavia capensis) | Mbira |
| Polistinae qasps | Mago Mbudzi or Igo Mbudzi |
| Potter wasp | Mbuzambuza |
| Praying mantis (mantodea) | Mbuyamuderere |
| Scorpion (scorpiones) | Mbambarize |
| Segmented Worms (annelida), Brachycera Larvae, White Grubs | Honye or Gonye |
| Springhare (pedetes capensis) | Gwizo, Nhire, Gwizhu or Gwete |
| Southern rock agama (agama atra) | Chidhambakura or Chiguyakuya |
| Stick insect (phasmatodea) | Mhashurukuni |
| Striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus) | Chidembo, Bvungo or Jachacha |
| Tadpole | Buruuru or Zunguzurwa |
| Termite swarmer | Ishwa |
| Tick (Ixodida) | Chikwekwe, Chinyamadari, Chinyamunhari, or Chishamabwe (blood-sucking tick) |
| Tree squirrel (paraxerus cepapi) | Shindi or Tsindi |
| Tzetze or tsetse fly (glossina) | Mhesvi |
| Water scorpion (nepidae) | Zimai redzviva |
| Weevil (curculionoidea) | Chipfukuto |
Fish (hove)
| English | ChiShona |
|---|---|
| Barbel | Muramba, Muhono or Mhatye |
| Cornish jack (mormyrops anguilloides) | Zambanenje |
| Eel (anguilliformes) | Nyamatsatsi, Ngurusi, Hunga or Mukunga |
| Large catfish | Vundu |
| Longjaw mudsucker (gillichthys mirabilis) | Mburi |
| Kariba tilapia (oreochromis mortimeri) | Gwaya |
| Kariba bream | Gwaya |
| Minnow | Musunde or Sinde |
| Mottled eel (anguilla nebulosa) | Nyamatsatsi |
| Sardine | Sinde |
| Smallmouth and Largemouth Yellowfish | Kuyu |
| Tigerfish (hydrocynus vittatus) | Cheni, Mucheni, Muvanga or Sheni |
