Mandarin:
* 狗 (gǒu): This is the most common and general term for "dog."
* 犬 (quǎn): This is a more formal term used in specific contexts, such as zoology or when referring to dogs in a literary or poetic way.
Cantonese:
* 狗 (gau): This is the equivalent of "gǒu" in Mandarin.
Other variations:
* 狗狗 (gǒugǒu): This is a more playful and affectionate way to say "dog."
* 小狗 (xiǎogǒu): This literally means "little dog" and is often used to refer to puppies.
Note: The pronunciation of the Chinese characters may vary slightly depending on the dialect.