How dogs bark in different languages - Dog sounds are different in every language due to a phenomenon known as onomatopoeia, or a word that phonetically imitates a certain sound. Dogs may not actually speak different languages, but the way humans interpret their "language" differs across the globe.

© iStock

Afrikaans - In Afrikaans, dogs say blaf-blaf, woef-woef, and keff-keff (small dogs).

© iStock

Albanian - In Albanian, a dog says ham-ham.

© Shutterstock

Arabic - In Arabic, a dog says hau-hau or how-how.

© iStock

Bulgarian - In Bulgarian, a dog says bau-bau or jaff-jaff.

© iStock

Catalan - In Catalan, a dog says bau-bau or bub-bub.

© iStock

Chinese-Cantonese - In Chinese-Cantonese, a dog says wo-wo, wow-wow, or wong-wong.

© iStock

Chinese-Mandarin - In Chinese-Mandarin, a dog says wang-wang (汪汪).

© iStock

Danish - In Danish, a dog says vov-vov.

© Shutterstock

Dutch - In Dutch, a dog says woef-woef. 

© iStock

English - In English, a dog says woof-woof, ruff-ruff, arf-arf, bow-wow, yap-yap (small dogs), or yip-yip (very small dogs).

© iStock

Finnish - In Finnish, a dog says vuh or hau hau.

© iStock

French - In French, a dog says ouaf-ouaf.

© iStock

German - In German, a dog says wuff-wuff or wau-wau.

© iStock

Greek - In Greek, a dog says gav-gav.

© iStock

Hebrew - In Hebrew, a dog says hav-hav.

© iStock

Hindi - In Hindi, a dog says bow-bow.

© Shutterstock

Icelandic - In Icelandic, a dog says voff-voff.

© Shutterstock

Italian - In Italian, a dog says bau-bau.

© iStock

Japanese - In Japanese, a dog says wan-wan (ワンワン) or kian-kian (キャンキャン).

© iStock

Korean - In Korean, a dog says meong-meong (멍멍).

© iStock

Latvian - In Latvian, a dog says vau-vau.

© iStock

Efik (Nigeria) - In the Calabar area of Nigeria, a dog says wai-wai.

© iStock

Polish - In Polish, a dog says hau-hau.

© Shutterstock

Portuguese - In Portuguese, a dog says au-au.

© Shutterstock

Russian - In Russian, a dog says gav-gav (гав-гав) or tyav-tyav (тяв-тяв, small dogs).

© Shutterstock

Spanish - In Spanish, a dog says guau-guau.

© Shutterstock

Swedish - In Swedish, a dog says vov-vov or voff.

© Shutterstock

Tagalog - In Tagalog, a dog says ow-ow or baw-baw.

© Shutterstock

Thai - In Thai, a dog says hong-hong.

© Shutterstock

Turkish - In Turkish, a dog says hev-hev or hauv-hauv.

© Shutterstock

Ukrainian - In Ukrainian, a dog says hau-hau, haf-haf, or dzyau-dzyau.

© Shutterstock

Urdu - In Urdu, a dog says bow-bow.

© Shutterstock

Vietnamese - In Vietnamese, a dog says gau-gau, wau-wau, or ang-ang.

© Shutterstock

Welsh -  In Welsh, a dog says wff-wff.

© Shutterstock