Animals and plants

Beyond cats and dogs: wild animals, garden birds and insects, the parts of a plant from root to petal, and the verbs for what living things do. Two habits catch English speakers out. A mosquito does not bite in Japanese, it stings: 蚊(か)に刺(さ)された is a mosquito bite. And plants have their own verbs for growing and dying — weeds 生(は)える, petals 散(ち)る, a neglected plant 枯(か)れる. In science books, at zoos and on signs animal names are usually written in katakana, キツネ or シカ; below, each word stands as it is most often written in ordinary text.