español · A1 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Animals and pets
Describe familiar animals through simple actions and features.
Understand the choice
Name common pets, farm animals, and small creatures. Use each animal in a simple action so the noun connects to sound, movement, or care.
Core rule: Use the personal a before a specific animal treated as an individual: el gato mira al pájaro.
Notice it in context
El perro duerme y el gato mira al pájaro.
The dog sleeps and the cat watches the bird.
Al is a + el before the specific bird being watched.
Tenemos un conejo blanco.
We have a white rabbit.
The color agrees with masculine conejo.
Los caballos comen y las ovejas descansan.
The horses eat and the sheep rest.
Both subjects and verbs are plural.
What to remember
- Pez is a living fish; pescado is fish as food.
- Animal gender sometimes uses a separate word and sometimes macho or hembra.
Common trap: Do not add personal a to every animal automatically; it is most likely with known pets and personified animals.