Learning the names of animals is always one of the most enjoyable aspects of a new language. Especially if you are an animal lover or you are learning with kids!
German is an advantageous language to learn, and getting familiar with the most common animals is one of the essential parts of a learner’s vocabulary. Needless to say, learning about animals is a perfect way to prepare for a trip to Germany as well. Animals are everywhere, and being able to use your newly acquired vocabulary in real life is very easy in this case.
Note that German words are written in cursive in this post.
Let’s get started learning the German Tiere (ˈtiːʁə).
Farm animals in German
This section will explore the most common farm animal names in the German language.
Nutztiere (ˈnʊtstiːɐərə) is the German term for the word farm animals and is also used for animals for commercial use.
To give you as much information as possible, we have included:
- a table with names of the animals;
- the terms used for males and females;
- as well as the terms for the young animals and what they’re called collectively.
That way, you can really boost your German animal vocabulary!
| English name | German animal name (singular) | German animal name (plural) | Male | Female | Young | Collective noun |
| Pig | Schwein [ʃvaɪ̯n] | Schweine | Eber | Sau | Ferkel | Rotte |
| Chicken | Huhn [huːn] | Hühner | Hahn | Henne | Kücken | Brut |
| Cow | Rind [ʁɪnt] | Rinder | Stier/Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Sheep | Schaf [ʃaːf] | Schaafe | Bock | Mutterschaf | Lamm | Herde |
| Goat | Ziege [ˈt͡siːɡə] | Ziegen | Bock | Geiß | Kitz | Herde |
| Horse | Pferd [p͡feːɐ̯t] | Pferde | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Donkey | Esel [ˈeːsəl] | Esel | Eselhengst | Eselstute | Eselfohlen | Herde |
| Rabbit | Kaninchen [kaˈniːnçən] | Kaninchen | Rammler | Zibbe | - | Kolonie |
| Bee | Biene [ˈbiːnə] | Bienen | Drohne | Arbeiterin | Larve | Schwarm |
| Duck | Ente [ˈɛntə] | Enten | Erpel | Ente | Küken | Schoof |
| Goose | Gans [ɡans] | Gänse | Ganter, Gänserich | Gans | Gänseküken, Gössel | Schoof |
| Turkey | Truthahn [ˈtʁuːtˌhaːn] | Truthähne | Truthahn, Puter | Truthuhn, Truthenne | Küken | - |
| Quail | Wachtel [ˈvaxtḷ | Wachteln | Hahn | Henne | Küken | - |
| Pheasant | Fasan [faˈzaːn] | Fasane | Hahn | Henne | Küken | Bukett |
| Ostrich | Strauß [ʃtra͜us] | Strauße | Hahn | Henne | Küken | Herde |
| Emu | Emu [ˈeːmu] | Emus | Hahn | Henne | Küken | Herde |
| Nandu | Nandu [ˈnandu] | Nandus | Hahn | Henne | Küken | Herde |
| Stag | Hirsch [hɪrʃ] | Hirsche | Bock | Kuh | Kalb | Rudel |
| Deer | Reh [reː] | Rehe | Bock | Kuh | Rehkitz | Rudel |
| Llama | Lama [ˈlaːma] | Lamas | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Alpaca | Alpaka [alˈpaka] | Alpakas | Macho, Hengst | Hembra, Stute | Cria, Fohlen | Herde |
| Vicugna | Vikunja [viˈkʊnja] | Vikunjas | Hengst | Stute | Cria, Fohlen | Herde |
| Guanaco | Guanako [ɡu̯aˈnako] | Guanakos | Hengst | Stute | Cria, Fohlen | Herde |
| Dromedary | Dromedar [ˈdroːmedaːɐ̯] | Dromedare | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Bactrian camel | Trampeltier [ˈtʁampl̩ˌtiːɐ̯] | Trampeltiere | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Yak | Yak, Jak [jak] | Yaks, Jaks | Bulle | Kuh, Bri | Kalb | Herde |
| Zebu | Buckelrind [ˈbʊkl̩rɪnt] | Buckelrinder | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Water Buffalo | Wasserbüffel [ˈvasɐbʏfl̩] | Wasserbüffel | Ochse | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Mule | Maultier [ˈmaʊ̯ltiːɐ̯] | Maultiere | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Hinny | Maulesel [ˈmaʊ̯l|eːzl̩] | Maulesel | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Guinea Fowl | Perlhuhn [ˈpɛrlhuːn] | Perlhühner | Hahn | Henne | Perlhuhnküken | - |
| Moose | Elch [ɛlç] | Elche | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Rudel |
| Reindeer | Rentier [rɛnˈti̯eː] | Rentiere | Renhirsch | Renkuh | Kalb | Herde |
Zoo animals in German
Germany offers plenty of excellent zoos such as the Zoo Leipzig or the Tierpark Berlin. If you’re looking to visit one of the German zoos, it doesn’t hurt to know the German names of the animals usually found there.
Here we go with the Zootiere [ˈt͡soːˌtiːʁə] (zoo animals). As you might have guessed, Zoo is just the same in both German and English. But keep in mind that despite the same spelling, the pronunciation is quite different. The best example of this is der Zoo which is pronounced as [zuː] in German.
Many of the Zoo animals in German are quite similar to their English counterparts, making it a lot easier for you to learn them
| English name | German (singular) | German (plural) | Male | Female | Young | Collective noun |
| Giraffe | Giraffe [d͡ʒɪˈɹæf] | Giraffen | Bullen | Kühe | Jungtier | Gruppe |
| Lion | Löwe [ˈløːvə] | Löwen | Löwe | Löwin | Löwen-welpe | Rudeln |
| Panda | Panda [ˈpanda] | Pandas | Panda-männchen | Panda-weibchen | Jungtier | Gruppe |
| Wolf | Wolf [wʊłf] | Wölfe | Wolf | Wölfin | Welpe | Rudel |
| Tiger | Tiger [ˈtiːɡɐ] | Tiger | Tiger-männchen | Tiger-weibchen | Welpe | Gruppe |
| Camel | Kamel [kaˈmeːl] | Kamele | Kamel-hengst | Kamel-stute | Fohlen | Gruppe |
| Elephant | Elefant [eləˈfant] | Elefanten | Bulle | Elefenten-kuh | Jungtier | Herde |
| Flamingo | Flamingo flami:ŋɔ | Flamingos | - | - | Jungtier | Gruppe |
| Polar Bear | Eisbär [ˈaɪ̯sˌbɛːɐ̯] | Eisbären | - | Eisbärin | - | - |
| Hippopotamus | Nilpferd [ˈniːlˌp͡feːɐ̯t] | Nilpferde | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | - |
| Zebra | Zebra [ˈt͡seːbʁa] | Zebras | Hengst | Stute | Fohlen | Herde |
| Gazelle | Gazelle [ɡaˈt͡sɛlə] | Gazellen | - | - | - | Herde |
| Buffalo | Büffel [ˈbʏfl̩] | Büffel | Büffeloch | Büffelkuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Salamander | Salamander [zalaˈmandɐ] | Salamander | - | - | - | - |
| Rhinoceros | Nashorn [ˈnaːsˌhɔʁn] | Nashörner | - | - | - | Herde |
| Penguin | Pinguin [ˈpɪŋɡuiːn] | Pinguine | - | - | Küken | Kolonie, Floß |
| Cheetah | Gepard [ˈɡeːpaʁt] | Geparden | - | - | - | - |
| Wildcat | Wildkatze [ˈvɪltˌkat͡sə] | Wildkatze | - | - | - | - |
| Lynx | Luchs [lʊks] | Luchse | Kuder | Katze | - | - |
| Cougar | Puma [ˈpuːma] | Pumas | - | - | - | - |
| Hyena | Hyäne [hyˈɛːnə] | Hyänen | - | - | - | Clan |
| Mongoose | Mungo [ˈmʊŋɡo] | Mungos | - | - | - | - |
| Impala | Impala [ɪmˈpaːla] | Impala | - | - | - | - |
| Jackal | Schakal [ʃaˈkaːl] | Schakale | - | - | - | - |
| Wildebeest | Gnu [ɡnuː] | Gnus | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Antelope | Antilope [antiˈloːpə] | Antilopen | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Nyala | Nyala [ˈnjaːla] | Nyala | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Porcupine | Stachelschwein [ˈʃtaxl̩ʃvaɪ̯n] | Stachelschweine | - | - | - | - |
| Xerus | Schlichtborstenhörnchen [ʃlɪçtbɔʁstn̩hœʁnçən] | Schlichtborstenhörnchen | - | - | - | - |
| Lemur | Lemur [leˈmuːɐ̯] | Lemuren | - | - | - | Herde |
| Meerkat | Erdmännchen [ˈeːɐ̯tˌmɛnçən] | Erdmännchen | - | - | - | Kolonie |
| Kangaroo | Känguru [ˈkɛŋɡuʁu] | Kängurus | Buck | Doe | Joey | Rudel |
| Koala | Koala [koˈaːla] | Koalas | - | - | Joey | - |
| Wombat | Wombat, Beutelmaus [ˈbɔɪ̯tl̩maʊ̯s] | Wombats, Beutelmäuse | - | - | - | - |
| Badger | Dachs [daks] | Dachse | Rüde | Dächsin, Fähe | - | Kolonie |
| Beaver | Biber [ˈbiːbɐ] | Biber | Bock | - | - | Kolonie |
| Otter | Otter [ˈɔtɐ] | Otter | Rüde | Fähe | Welpe | Rudel |
| Boar | Wildschwein [ˈvɪltʃvaɪ̯n] | Wildschweine | Keiler | Bache | Frischling | Rotte |
| Fox | Fuchs [fʊks] | Füchse | Rüde | Fähe | Welpe | Geheck |
Sea animals in German
There are plenty of fascinating and wonderful sea animals living in the depths of our oceans. Germans use the term Meerestiere [ˈmeːʁəsˌtiːʁə] to describe sea animals.
| English name | German (singular) | German (plural) | Male | Female | Young | Collective noun |
| Whale | Wal [vaːl] | Wale | - | - | Kalb | Schule |
| Shark | Hai [haɪ̯] | Haie | - | - | - | Schule |
| Sealion | Seelöwe [ˈzeːˌløːvə] | Seelöwen | Seelöwe | Seelöwin | - | Gruppe |
| Seal | Robbe [ˈʁɔbə] | Robben | - | - | Heuler | Gruppe |
| Fish | Fisch [fɪʃ] | Fische | - | - | Jungfische | Schwarm |
| Dolphin | Delfin [dɛlˈfiːn] | Delfine | - | - | Kalb | Schule |
| Octopus | Oktopus [ˈɔktopʊs] | Oktopuse | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Sea turtle | Meeres-schildkröte [ˈmeːʁəsˌʃɪltkʁøːtə] | Meereschildkröten | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Jellyfish | Qualle [ˈkva.lə] | Quallen | - | - | - | - |
| Selch | Seehund [ˈzeːˌhʊnt] | Seehunde | - | - | Heuler | Rudel |
| Manatee | Seekuh [ˈzeːˌkuː] | Seekühe | - | - | - | - |
| Shrimp | Garnele [ɡaʁˈneːlə] | Garnelen | - | - | - | - |
| Seahorse | Seepferdchen [ˈzeːˌpfeɐ̯tçən] | Seepferdchen | - | - | - | - |
| Clam | Muschel [ˈmʊʃəl] | Muscheln | - | - | - | - |
| Mussel | Miesmuschel [ˈmie̯smʊʃəl] | Miesmuscheln | - | - | - | - |
| Squid | Tintenfisch [ˈtɪntn̩ˌfɪʃ] | Tintenfische | - | - | - | - |
| Crab | Krebs [kʁeːps] | Krebse | - | - | - | - |
| Lugworm | Wattwurm [wɒtʋʏrm] | Wattwürmer | - | - | - | - |
| Nautilus | Meeresschnecke [ˈmeːʁəsˈʃnɛkə] | Meeresschnecken | - | - | - | - |
| Starfish | Seestern [ˈzeːʃtɛʁn] | Seesterne | - | - | - | - |
| Sea Urchin | Seeigel [ˈzeːʔiːɡl̩] | Seeigel | - | - | - | - |
| Coral | Koralle [koˈralə] | Korallen | - | - | - | - |
| Sponge | Schwamm [ʃvam] | Schwämme | - | - | - | - |
| Eel | Aal [aːl] | Aale | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Cod | Dorsch [dɔrʃ] | Dorsche | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Flounder | Flunder [ˈflʊndɐ] | Flundern | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Herring | Hering [ˈheːʁɪŋ] | Heringe | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Pike | Hecht [ɦɛxt] | echte | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Salmon | Lachs [laks] | Lachse | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Mackerel | Makrele [maˈkʁeːlə] | Makrelen | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Mullet | Meeräsche [mɪə(ɹ)ˈɛʃə] | Meeräschen | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Trout | Forelle [foˈrɛlə] | Forellen | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Plaice | Scholle [ˈʃɔlə] | Schollen | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Turbot | Steinbutt [ˈʃtaɪn.bʊt] | Steinbutte | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Whiting | Weißfisch [vaɪ̯sfiʃ] | Weißfische | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schule; Schwarm |
| Walrus | Walross [ˈvaːlˌʁɔs] | Walrosse | Bulle | Kuh | Kalb | Herde |
| Lobster | Hummer [ˈhʊmɐ] | Hummer | - | - | - | - |
| Anemone | Anemone [anəˈmoːnə] | Anemonen | - | - | - | - |
Jungle animals in German
Understanding how to say jungle animal names in German is usually pretty straightforward as the German and English terms for these exotic animals are usually somewhat similar.
However, take note of the different pronunciations, which is typical for German animal vocabulary.
| English name | German (singular) | German(plural) | Male | Female | Young | Collective noun |
| Gorilla | Gorilla [ɡoˈʁɪla] | Gorillas | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Snake | Schlange [ˈʃlaŋə] | Schlangen | - | - | - | - |
| Leopard | Leopard [leoˈpaʁt] | Leoparden | Leopard | Leopardin | Welpe | Rudel |
| Lizard | Eidechse [ˈaɪ̯dɛksə] | Eidechsen | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Crocodile | Krokodil [kʁokoˈdiːl] | Krokodile | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Sloth | Faultier [ˈfaʊ̯lˌtiːɐ̯] | Faultiere | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Orangutan | Orang-Utan [ˈoːʁaŋˈʔuːtan] | Orang-Utans | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Chameleon | Chamäleon [kaˈmɛːleˌɔn] | Chameleons | - | - | - | - |
| Gecko | Gecko [ˈɡɛko] | Geckos | - | - | - | - |
| Iguana | Leguan [ˈleːɡuaːn] | Leguane | - | - | - | - |
| Pangolin | Schuppentier [ˈʃʊpn̩ˌtiːɐ̯] | Schuppentiere | - | - | - | - |
| Frog | Frosch [fʁɔʃ] | Frösche | - | - | - | - |
| Alligator | Alligator [ˌaliˈɡaːtoːɐ̯] | Alligatoren | - | - | - | - |
| Gavial | Gavial [ɡaˈvi̯aːl] | Gaviale | - | - | - | - |
| Gibbon | Gibbon [ˈɡɪbɔn] | Gibbons | - | - | - | Trupp |
| Lion Tamarin | Löwenäffchen [ˈløːvn̩ɛfçən] | Löwenäffchen | - | - | - | Trupp |
| Chimpanzee | Schimpanse [ʃɪmˈpanzə] | Schimpansen | - | - | - | Trupp |
| Baboon | Pavian [ˈpaːviːaːn] | Paviane | - | - | - | Trupp |
| Bonobo | Bonobo [boˈnoːbo] | Bonobos | - | - | - | Trupp |
| Bangka Slow Loris | Plumplori [plʊmpˈloːʁi] | Plumploris | - | - | - | - |
| Ocelot | Ozelot [ˈɔt͡selɔt] | Ozelote | - | - | - | - |
| Tapir | Tapir [ˈtaːpiːɐ̯] | Tapire | - | - | - | - |
| Toucan | Tukan [tuˈkaːn] | Tukane | - | - | - | - |
| Bird of Paradise | Paradiesvogel [paʁaˈdiːsˌfoːɡl̩] | Paradiesvögel | - | - | - | - |
| Hummingbird | Kolibri [ˈkoːlibʁi] | Kolibris | - | - | - | - |
| Lizard | Echse [ˈɛksə] | Echsen | - | - | - | - |
| Aardvark | Erdferkel [ˈeːɐ̯tˌfɛʁkl̩] | Erdferkel | - | - | - | - |
| Armadillo | Gürteltier [ˈɡʏʁtl̩ˌtiːɐ̯] | Gürteltiere | - | - | - | - |
| Jaguar | Jaguar [ˈjaːɡuaːɐ̯] | Jaguare | - | - | - | - |
| Panther | Panther [ˈpantɐ] | Panther | - | - | - | - |
| Racoon | Waschbär [ˈvaʃˌbeːɐ̯] | Waschbären | - | - | - | - |
| Coati | Nasenbär [ˈnaːzn̩bɛːɐ̯] | Nasenbären | - | - | - | - |
| Tarantula | Vogelspinne [ˈfoːɡl̩ˌʃpɪnə] | Vogelspinnen | - | - | - | - |
| Ant | Ameise [ˈaːmaɪ̯zə] | Ameisen | Drohne | Arbeiterin | Larve | Kolonie |
| Butterfly | Schmetterling [ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ] | Schmetterlinge | - | - | Larve | - |
| Dragonfly | Libelle [liˈbɛlə] | Libellen | - | - | Larve | - |
| Moth | Motte [ˈmɔtə] | Motten | - | - | Larve | - |
| Termite | Termite [tɛʁˈmiːtə] | Termiten | - | - | Larve | Kolonie |
Pets in German
Pets are often friends, companions and even considered part of the family. There is no way you should learn the German language without also learning the German words for some of our favorite pets.
| English | German (singular) | German (plural) | Male | Female | Young | Collective noun |
| Dog | Hund [hʊnt] | Hunde | Hund | Hündin | Welpe | Rudel |
| Cat | Katze [ˈkat͡sə] | Katzen | Kater | Katze | Jungkatze | Rudel |
| Guinea pig | Meer-schwein-chen [ˈmeːɐ̯ˌʃvaɪ̯nçən] | Meer-schwein-chen | Bock | Sau | - | Gruppe |
| Hamster | Hamster [ˈhamstɐ] | Hamster | - | - | - | Gruppe |
| Bird | Vogel [ˈfoːɡl̩] | Vögel | - | - | - | Schar |
| Rabbit | Kaninchen [kaˈniːnçən] | Kaninchen | Rammler | Zibbe | - | - |
| Mouse | Maus [maʊ̯s] | Mäuse | Mäuserich | - | - | Sippe |
| Gerbil | Rennmaus [ʁɛnmaʊ̯s] | Rennmäuse | Rennmäuserich | - | - | Sippe |
| Rat | Ratte [ˈʁatə] | Ratten | Böckchen | - | - | Sippe |
| Goldfish | Goldfisch [ˈɡɔltfɪʃ] | Goldfische | - | - | - | Schwarm |
| Koi | Koi [kɔɪ̯] | Kois | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schwarm |
| Guppy | Guppy [ˈɡʊpi] | Guppys | Milchner | Rogner | Fischlaich | Schwarm |
| Genet | Ginsterkatze [ˈɡɪnstɐkat͡sə] | Ginsterkatzen | - | - | - | - |
| Hedgehog | Igel [ˈiːɡl̩] | Igel | - | - | - | - |
| Budgie | Wellensittich [ˈvɛlənˌzɪtɪçə] | Wellensittiche | Männchen, Hahn | Weibchen, Henne | Küken | - |
| Cockatiel | Nymphensittich [ˈnʏmfn̩ˌsɪtɪç] | Nymphensittiche | Männchen, Hahn | Weibchen, Henne | Küken | - |
| Canary Bird | Kanarienvogel [kaˈnaːʁiənˌfoːɡl] | Kanarienvögel | - | - | Küken | - |
| Parrot | Papagei [ˌpapaˈɡaɪ̯ | Papageien | - | - | Küken | - |
| Chinese Owl | Chinesisches Mövchen [çiˈneːzɪʃəs [ˈmøːvçən] | Chinesische Mövchen | - | - | Küken | - |
| Finch | Fink [fɪŋk] | Finken | - | - | Küken | - |
| Swan | Schwan [ʃvaːn] | Schwäne | - | Schwänin | Küken | - |
| Partridge | Rebhuhn [ˈʁeːpˌhuːn] | Rebhühner | Hahn | Henne | Küken | Flug, Kette |
| Pigeon | Taube [ˈtaʊ̯bə] | Tauben | Tauber, Tauberich | Täubin | Küken | Flug, Schwarm |
| Owl | Eule [ˈɔɪ̯lə] | Eulen | - | - | Küken | Parlament |
| Peacock | Pfau [p͡faʊ̯] | Pfauen | Hahn | Henne | Küken | - |
| Lark | Lerche [ˈlɛʁçə] | Lerchen | - | - | Küken | Trupp |
| Falcon | Falke [ˈfalkə] | Falken | - | - | Küken | Schwarm |
| Chinchilla | Chinchilla [t͡ʃɪnˈt͡ʃɪla] | Chinchillas | Böckchen | - | - | Herde |
| Opossum | Opossum, Beutelratte [ˈbɔɪ̯tlˈʁatə] | Opossums, Beutelratten | - | - | - | - |
| Newt | Molch [mɔlç] | Molche | - | - | - | - |
| Ferret | Frettchen [ˈfʁɛtçən] | Frettchen | Rüde | Fähe | Welpe | - |
| Weasel | Wiesel [ˈwiːzəl] | Wiesel | - | - | - | - |
| Fennec | Wüstenfuchs [ˈvyːstn̩ˌfʊks] | Wüstenfüchse | Rüde | Fähe | Welpen | Rudel |
| Bush Baby | Bushbaby [bʊʃˈbeɪbiː] | Bushbabys | - | - | - | - |
| Cricket | Grille [ˈɡʁɪlə] | Grillen | - | - | - | - |
You may notice some terms missing, marked with hyphens. Indeed, the German language does not have specific words for some of these variants. Instead, you can simply use männlich/weiblich (male/female) to specify the gender.
As an example: Ein männlicher Hamster. The same is true for young animals. Simply say: Ein junger Vogel. Keep in mind that you will have to make sure to use the correct grammar here as the animals use various articles (der/die/das).
Animal songs in German
Music is a great tool to learn a language. And if the music comes with some additional German animal vocabulary - even better!
The video Tiere für Kinder - Tierstimmen für Kleinkinder might be exactly what you need to learn the pronunciation of the various animals introduced in this article. Even though it’s technically not much of a song and instead more of a learning video, it does a great job combining high-quality videos of animals, on-screen lyrics and clear pronunciations.
If you want a more musical approach and prefer animal songs in German, the video Die Tiere auf Deutsch lernen might be just what you are after. The video introduces not only the names of animals but also the various vocabulary for animals of the male and female gender. The video is very comprehensive, and we recommend it for people who already have a basic grasp of the related vocabulary.
Funny animal-related sayings, quotes, phrases
Germans have quite a few funny animal-related phrases. Germans will love you for knowing these phrases in their language, especially if you aren’t as fluent yet and you say them at just the right moment! Learning them is an excellent idea if you want to have some fun.
Animal phrases are used all the time, but they are especially common in emotional moments. Most of the phrases are based on real characteristics that are common for the associated animal. For example, monkeys are very loud and seem to argue a lot which is why Germans often use the term Affentheater for people that are arguing loudly.
| Das ist ein riesiger Saustall. | This is a huge pigsty. | This place is a total mess. |
| Ich habe einen Bärenhunger. | I am hungry like a bear. | I am really hungry. |
| Ich habe mich total zum Affen gemacht. | I have made a monkey out of myself. | I have completely embarrassed myself. |
| Ein Elefant im Porzelanladen. | An elephant in a porcelain shop. | Someone who is very clumsy and easily breaks things. |
| Du bist echt ein Esel. | You are a donkey. | You are a real fool. |
| Die Katze im Sack kaufen. | Buying the cat in the bag. | Buying something you don’t know the condition of. |
| Das Taxi fährt wie eine gesenkte Sau. | The taxi is driving like a sow. | The taxi drives way too fast. |
Even though some of these phrases are not exceptionally polite and are generally only used in informal conversations, you will definitely cause some laughter by using them!
German animal vocabulary is fun to learn and truly rewarding
Learning the animals in German is one of the easiest (and most fun) aspects of German vocabulary. Whether it’s farm animals, zoo animals, sea animals or jungle animals in German - most of the terms are similar to their English counterparts, making them very easy to remember.
To learn the pronunciation of the terms (different to English despite similarities in spelling), you should make use of the videos recommended in this article. Hearing how native-fluent speakers pronounce words is an integral part of learning any language.
Make sure to keep practicing your newfound language skills so whether you want to travel to more German-speaking places, or gain confidence doing business with German-speaking colleagues, you’ll feel empowered to do precisely that.
