What it means
حیوانات (heyvânât) is the Arabic plural of حیوان (heyvân, animal), and it is the standard, neutral, everyday word for animals in Persian at every level of formality. Whether a child is asking about zoo animals, a biologist is cataloguing fauna, or a news anchor is reporting on wildlife, حیوانات is the right word. The singular حیوان can also be used informally as an insult, similar to calling someone a “beast” in English, but the plural form حیوانات is entirely neutral and descriptive.
How to use it
- حیوانات باغوحش را دوست دارم. (Heyvânât-e bâgh-e vahsh râ dust dâram.) “I love the animals at the zoo.”
- حیوانات دریایی در اعماق اقیانوس زندگی میکنند. (Heyvânât-e daryâyi dar a’mâq-e oqyânus zendegi mi-konand.) “Marine animals live in the depths of the ocean.”
- حیوانات مهرهدار و بیمهره در این درس بررسی میشوند. (Heyvânât-e mohre-dâr va bi-mohre dar in dars barrasi mi-shavand.) “Vertebrate and invertebrate animals are studied in this lesson.”
- از حیوانات خانگی خوب مراقبت کنید. (Az heyvânât-e khânegi khub morâqebat konid.) “Take good care of your pets.”
Cultural note
Iranians have a long tradition of fables featuring animals, most famously Kelileh va Demneh, the Persian adaptation of the Indian Panchatantra, where حیوانات serve as moral teachers. In contemporary Iran, animal welfare awareness has grown and NGOs that advocate for street animals use حیوانات خیابانی (heyvânât-e khiyâbâni) to describe stray cats and dogs. The word باغوحش (bâgh-e vahsh, literally “wild garden”) for zoo pairs naturally with حیوانات in everyday speech.