Language/German/Vocabulary/Animals

German Vocabulary - Animals

Hi German learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn the German vocabulary for animals. Animals play an important role in our lives, and throughout history, they have played major roles in our cultures too. We will explore some interesting facts about these animals as well as some German idioms that use the animal names.
Let's get started! Don't forget to use the Find native speakers and ask them any questions.

Domestic Animals

Dogs

Dogs are often referred to as "Der beste Freund des Menschen" (Man's best friend). They have been bred for various purposes, such as hunting, herding, guarding, and even providing companionship. Here are some common breeds of dogs:

German	Pronunciation	English
Der Hund	deɐ̯ hʊnt	The dog
Der Dackel	deɐ̯ ˈdakl̩	The Dachshund
Der Pudel	deɐ̯ ˈpuːdl̩	The Poodle
Der Chihuahua	deɐ̯ tʃiˈwawa	The Chihuahua

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Ich habe einen Dackel. (I have a Dachshund.)
• Person 2: Wie süß! (How cute!)

Cats

Cats are known for being independent yet affectionate animals. They can make great pets and are often worshiped in ancient cultures. Here are some common breeds of cats:

German	Pronunciation	English
Die Katze	diː ˈkat͡sə	The cat
Die Perserkatze	diː ˈpɛrsərkat͡sə	The Persian cat
Die Siamesische Katze	diː sɪaˈmeːzɪʃə kat͡sə	The Siamese cat
Die Maine Coon	diː meɪn kuːn	The Maine Coon

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Ich habe eine Siamesische Katze. (I have a Siamese cat.)
• Person 2: Die sind so hübsch. (They are so pretty.)

Wild Animals

Bears

Bears are majestic and powerful animals that have played roles in many cultures. They have been featured in literature, myths, and legends, and have been hunted and raised for their fur and meat. Here are some types of bears:

German	Pronunciation	English
Der Bär	deɐ̯ bɛːɐ̯	The bear
Der Eisbär	deɐ̯ ˈaɪsbɛːɐ̯	The polar bear
Der Schwarzbär	deɐ̯ ʃvaʁt͡sˌbɛːɐ̯	The black bear
Der Grizzlybär	deɐ̯ ˈɡʁɪzi.baːɐ̯	The grizzly bear

Did you know that in Germany, bear mascots are commonly featured in German folklore and traditions such as the "Bear Dancers" of Oberstdorf? Bears are also an important part of the Berlin Coat of Arms.

Elephants

Elephants are one of the largest land animals on earth, and they are known for their intelligence and complex social hierarchies. Here are some elephant-related German idioms:

• "Den Elefanten im Raum ignorieren" ("Ignoring the elephant in the room"): This means to avoid talking about an obvious issue.
• "Ein Elefant im Porzellanladen sein" ("Being an elephant in a china shop"): This means to be clumsy, awkward, or disruptive.
• "Ein Gedächtnis wie ein Elefant haben" ("Having a memory like an elephant"): This means having a strong and accurate memory.

German	Pronunciation	English
Der Elefant	deɐ̯ ɛlɛfant	The elephant
Der Afrikanische Elefant	deɐ̯ afriˈkaːnɪʃə ɛlɛfant	The African elephant
Der Asiatische Elefant	deɐ̯ aˈzi.aˌtɪʃə ɛlɛfant	The Asian elephant

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Hast du gewusst, dass Elefanten sehr intelligent sind? (Did you know that elephants are very intelligent?)
• Person 2: Wirklich? Das ist cool. (Really? That's cool.)

Insects

Bees

Bees are important pollinators and are responsible for the growth and reproduction of many plants. They are also known for their sweet and delicious honey. Here are some German idioms related to bees:

• "Arbeiten wie die Bienen" ("Working like a bee"): This means to work quickly and diligently.
• "Das Summen der Bienen hören" ("Hearing the buzzing of the bees"): This means that one is dizzy or lightheaded.

German	Pronunciation	English
Die Biene	diː ˈbiːnə	The bee
Die Honigbiene	diː ˈhoːnɪɡbiːnə	The honeybee
Die Wildbiene	diː vɪltˈbiːnə	The wild bee

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Ich mag keine Bienen. Sie machen mir Angst. (I don't like bees. They scare me.)
• Person 2: Aber Bienen produzieren Honig, der sehr lecker ist! (But bees produce honey, which is very tasty!)

Marine Life

Fish

Fish are an important part of marine ecosystems and are also a popular source of food. Here are some common fish types in German:

German	Pronunciation	English
Der Fisch	deɐ̯ fɪʃ	The fish
Die Forelle	diː fɔˈʁɛlə	The trout
Der Lachs	deɐ̯ lakʰs	The salmon
Der Thunfisch	deɐ̯ ˈtuːnfɪʃ	The tuna fish

Did you know that fish is an important part of German cuisine? There are many popular fish dishes including "Matjes" (soused herring) and "Fischstäbchen" (fish fingers).

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Ich mag keinen Fisch. (I don't like fish.)
• Person 2: Aber Fisch ist sehr gesund für dich! (But fish is very good for you!)

Conclusion

That's it for the German vocabulary for animals. Did you learn something new? Remember, if you want to improve your German Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website to find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Now that you've completed this lesson, don't stop learning! Check out these related topics: Animals, Animal Sounds, Numbers 1 100 & Drinks.

Other Lessons

• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• How to say Good Bye?
• Animal
• Count from 1 to 10
• Drinks
• Common strong and mixed verbs
• Verbs in German
• Asking Directions
• Colors

Sources

• German Animal Names: The Ultimate Vocabulary List
• 100 Animals in German to Get Wild With, Plus Other Animal-related ...
• 101+ German Animal Names (with English Translations)