{"id":94292,"date":"2023-12-26T19:56:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T00:56:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/animals-in-german\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T00:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T05:19:10","slug":"animals-in-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/animals-in-german\/","title":{"rendered":"130+ Animals in German"},"content":{"rendered":"

Knowing some animal vocabulary in German is infinitely useful for talking about nature, the world at large and even interactions in day-to-day life.<\/p>\n

You might have reviewed a basic list of tiere<\/strong><\/em> (animals) in German that include “cat” and “dog.”<\/p>\n

But in this post, get ready to learn over 130 animals in German and over 20 verbs, animal parts and phrases.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bauernhoftiere <\/em>(Farm Animals)<\/h2>\n

\"herd<\/a><\/p>\n

Bauernhoftiere<\/em> (farm animals) are some of the first animal names that children learn in school.<\/p>\n

So they\u2019re the first ones we\u2019re going to learn in German! These animals live on der Bauernhof <\/i>(the farm) and are cared for by\u00a0der Bauer <\/i>(the farmer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
das Pferd <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The horse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Pony <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The pony<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Kuh <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The cow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Schwein <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The pig<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Hahn <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The rooster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Henne <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The hen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Schaf <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The sheep<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Ziege <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The goat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Esel <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The donkey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Truthahn <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The turkey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Gans <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The goose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Ente <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The duck<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Lama <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The llama<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Rentier <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The reindeer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der B\u00fcffel <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The buffalo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Waschb\u00e4r <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The raccoon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Schwan <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The swan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Adler <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The eagle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Opossum <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The possum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Haustiere<\/em> (Common Animals and Pets)<\/h2>\n

\"person<\/p>\n

Unless you live on a farm, you’re much more likely to see the following group of animals in your everyday life. You might even have one of these animals as a Haustier <\/i>(pet).<\/p>\n

In fact, 45% of all German households had at least one pet<\/a> in 2019. Imagine the lengthy conversations in German that you could have with native speakers about their beloved furry (or scaly) companions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
der Hund <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The dog<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Katze <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The female cat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Kater <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The male cat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Kaninchen <\/a>\n \/ der Hase <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The rabbit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Goldfisch <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The goldfish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Meerschweinchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The guinea pig<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Frettchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The ferret<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Hamster <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The hamster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Schlange <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The snake<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Vogel <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The bird<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Fisch <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The fish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Eidechse <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The lizard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Frosch <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The frog<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Chinchilla <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The chinchilla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Waldtiere<\/em> (Forest Animals)<\/h2>\n

\"two<\/p>\n

The German-speaking regions have a variety of wildlife and that includes a good amount of Waldtiere<\/em> (forest animals). Most of the animals in this list could be found there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some of these might surprise you and be a little less common, such as wolves or moose. But they’re slowly making a comeback, either through conservation efforts or through natural causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
der Fuchs <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The fox<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Luchs <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The lynx<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Hirsch <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The deer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Bison <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The bison<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Elch <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The moose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Steinbock <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The ibex<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der B\u00e4r <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The bear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Wolf <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The wolf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Waschb\u00e4r <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The raccoon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Stinktier <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The skunk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Dachs <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The badger<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Igel <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The hedgehog<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Maulwurf <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The mole<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Wildschwein <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The boar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Eule <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The owl<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Fledermaus <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The bat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Eichh\u00f6rnchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The squirrel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Kojote <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The coyote<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Taube <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The dove<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Taube <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The pigeon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Insekten<\/em> und Sch\u00e4dlinge<\/em> (Insects and Household Pests)<\/h2>\n

\"ladybug<\/p>\n

If only we lived in a world where only cats, dogs and other cute animals populated our homes. But we don’t! Sometimes we get an unwanted housemate, known as\u00a0der<\/em> Sch\u00e4dling<\/em>\u00a0(pest).<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also some helpful and friendlier insects in this list as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
die Maus <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The mouse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Ratte <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The rat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Spinne <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The spider<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Insekt <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The insect<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Ameise <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The ant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Fliege <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die M\u00fccke <\/a>\n \/ die Stechm\u00fccke <\/a>\n \u00a0\/ der Moskito <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The mosquito<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Kakerlake <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The cockroach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Wespe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The wasp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Biene <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The bee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Zecke <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The tick<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der K\u00e4fer <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The beetle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Marienk\u00e4fer <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The ladybug<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Raupe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The caterpillar<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Schmetterling <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The butterfly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Leguan <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The iguana<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Gecko <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The gecko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Wassertiere<\/em>\/Meerestiere<\/em>\u00a0(Aquatic Animals\/Sea Animals)<\/h2>\n

\"sea<\/p>\n

Germany is a land full of lakes and rivers.<\/p>\n

In the north, it borders the Nordsee <\/i>(North Sea) and the Ostsee <\/i>(East Sea). Germany is also home to many Fl\u00fcsse\u00a0<\/i>(rivers), most notably the Rhine, Danube and Elbe rivers that run through many German cities and towns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As such, Germany is home to many Wassertiere<\/em> (aquatic animals), both in its local waterways and in its Aquariums <\/i>(aquariums) and Tierpark <\/i>(zoos).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
der Otter <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The otter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Krake <\/a>\n \/ der Tintenfisch <\/a>\n \/ der Oktopus <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The octopus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Der Kalmar <\/a>\n \/ der Tintenfisch <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The squid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Delfin <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The dolphin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Wal <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The whale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Hai <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The shark<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Krabbe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The crab<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Hummer <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The lobster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Seel\u00f6we <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The sea lion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Robbe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The seal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Walross <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The walrus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Qualle <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The jellyfish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Stechrochen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The stingray<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Aal <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The eel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Pinguin <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The penguin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Seestern <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The starfish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Seel\u00f6we <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The sealion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Krabbe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The shrimp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Seepferdchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The seahorse<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Seekuh <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The manatee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Zootiere<\/em> (Zoo Animals)<\/h2>\n

\"two<\/a><\/p>\n

A visit to a Tierpark <\/i>(zoo) will expose you to animals from all over the world. Germans love going to the zoo, and there are zoos in many of Germany’s big cities such as Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
der Papagei <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The parrot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der L\u00f6we <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The lion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Gepard <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The cheetah<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Tiger <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The tiger<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Eisb\u00e4r <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The polar bear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Affe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The monkey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Menschenaffe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The ape<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Gorilla <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The gorilla<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das K\u00e4nguru <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The kangaroo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Erdm\u00e4nnchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The meerkat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Elefant <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The elephant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Zebra <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The zebra<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Giraffe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The giraffe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Nilpferd <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The hippopotamus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Krokodil <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The crocodile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Nashorn <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The rhino<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Strau\u00df <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The ostrich<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Schildkr\u00f6te <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The turtle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Pfau <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The peacock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Alligator <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The alligator<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Panther <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The panther<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Kamel <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The camel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Flamingo <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The flamingo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Panda <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The panda<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Hy\u00e4ne <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The hyena<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Wildkatze <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The wildcat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Antilope <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The antelope<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Koala <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The koala<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Leopard <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The leopard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Tr\u00e4gheit <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The sloth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Tukan <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The toucan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Cham\u00e4leon <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The chameleon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Tierbabys<\/em>\u00a0(Baby Animals)<\/h2>\n

\"baby<\/a><\/p>\n

Animals, while cute, are always cuter when they’re babies! As in English, German has specific words for animals when they’re young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
das Ei <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The egg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Welpe <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The puppy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das K\u00e4tzchen <\/a>\n \/ das Katzenbaby <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The kitten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Entchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The duckling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Lamm <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The lamb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Kalb <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The calf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Fohlen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The foal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Hirschkalb <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The fawn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Schweinchen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The piglet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das K\u00fcken <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The chick<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Note that the ending -chen<\/i>\u00a0can be added to many nouns to make them diminutive <\/strong>(referring to the smaller version of something).<\/p>\n

As in the cases of die Katze <\/i>(the cat) and die Ente <\/i>(the duck), we get the words\u00a0das K\u00e4tzchen<\/i>\u00a0(the kitten) and die Entchen <\/i>(the duckling).<\/p>\n

This can also be added to other nouns such as das H\u00fcndchen <\/i>(the little dog)\u00a0and das M\u00e4uschen <\/i>(the little mouse) to describe the younger or smaller version of the animal.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind, however, that by adding the ending -chen <\/i>to animals, they automatically become neuter in gender <\/strong>despite what their previous grammatical gender<\/a> was. This means that these nouns will take the definite article das<\/i>\u00a0(the) in the nominative case.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

der Tisch<\/em> (the table) \u2192 das<\/strong> Tischlein <\/em>(the little table)<\/p>\n

Where possible, you also need to add an umlaut to the first vowel in the diminutive:\u00a0<\/p>\n

die Maus<\/em> (the mouse) \u2192 das<\/strong> M\u00e4uschen<\/em>\u00a0(the little mouse)<\/p>\n

Tierk\u00f6rperteile<\/em>\u00a0(Animal Body Parts)<\/h2>\n

\"two<\/a><\/p>\n

Animals\u2014regardless of what language is being used to talk about them\u2014have different body parts than us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
die Schnauze <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The snout<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Maul <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The mouth\/the muzzle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Schwanz <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The tail<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Pfote <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The paw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Pelz <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The fur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Feder <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The feather<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Fl\u00fcgel <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The wing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Horn <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>The horn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Common Verbs and Phrases Related to Animals in German<\/h2>\n

Finally, animals also have different needs than humans, and these require special verbs that describe the caring for and interacting with animals.<\/p>\n

Some of these verbs can be extended to humans, but some are specifically for animals and will be pointed out as such in the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Sich um etwas k\u00fcmmern <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To take care of something<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
F\u00fcttern <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To feed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Streicheln <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To stroke<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spazieren gehen <\/a>\n \/ Gassi gehen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To take for a walk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spielen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To play<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sich putzen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To groom itself<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Striegeln <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To groom an animal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fressen <\/a>\n <\/i><\/td>To eat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

In addition to having different body parts than humans, animals also eat differently in German than they do in English.<\/p>\n

While we use the verb essen <\/i>(to eat) in German to talk about the act of humans eating, the verb fressen <\/i>(to eat) must be used to talk about an animal eating.<\/p>\n

While fressen<\/i>\u00a0is commonly used to describe the act of an animal eating, it can also be used to mean \u201cto gobble\u201d or \u201cto gorge\u201d when a human is eating.<\/p>\n

Despite being a different verb,\u00a0fressen <\/i>conjugates similarly to the verb essen<\/i>. Check out the verb conjugation pattern<\/a> here. Pay particular attention to\u00a0the er, sie, es <\/i>(he, she, it)<\/strong> conjugation of the verb:<\/p>\n