How to Say Dog in Chinese
狗
gǒu
狗 (gǒu) is the Mandarin word for dog.
Pronunciation and tones
Gǒu has a third tone. Start low, dip, and rise when saying it in isolation; in a sentence the rise may be reduced.
Two everyday examples
我有一只狗。
Wǒ yǒu yì zhī gǒu.
I have a dog.
这只狗很可爱。
Zhè zhī gǒu hěn kě’ài.
This dog is very cute.
Usage and common mistakes
Use the animal measure word
一只狗 (yì zhī gǒu) means one dog. Use 两只狗 (liǎng zhī gǒu) for two dogs.
Keep the third tone
狗 (gǒu) and 够 (gòu), meaning enough, have different tones. A falling fourth tone changes the word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say dog in Chinese?
Dog is 狗 (gǒu) in Mandarin, with a third tone.
How do you say puppy?
小狗 (xiǎo gǒu) means puppy or little dog.
What does 狗狗 mean?
狗狗 (gǒugou) is an affectionate way to refer to a dog, with a light second syllable.