Learning the names of animals in German is a great way to give yourself cultural context. From the trademark discourse of ecological protection you’re bound to hear in Germany to German idioms like “Wo der Bär steppt” (where the bear dances), animals influence much of German culture. Thanks to similarities between English and German, there are many animal names in German that are either similar or identical to their English names, such as der Hamster (the hamster), making German easy to learn. Read on to expand your vocabulary with over 200 animals in the German language.
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Common pets and animals in German households
Naming animals in German households can go beyond pet names like “Spot” or “Thor.” Show your fellow German speakers that you know how to speak German by being able to identify their pets and your own by their species’ true name. Keep an eye out for how many German words match the sound or spelling of the English word!
| German Animal and Article | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| der Ara | AH-rah | the macaw |
| der Boxer | BOHX-er | the boxer |
| der Chihuahua | chi-HWA-hwa | the chihuahua |
| der Dackel/Dachshund | DAHK-el/DAHKS-hoont | the dachshund |
| die Dogge | Doh-geh | the great dane |
| die Eidechse | EYE-dek-suh | the lizard |
| der Fink | FEENK | the finch |
| der Fisch | FISH | the fish |
| das Frettchen | FRET-chuhn | the ferret |
| der Gecko | GEH-koh | the gecko |
| der Goldfisch | GOHLT-fish | the goldfish |
| der Hamster | HAHM-stuhr | the hamster |
| der Husky | HUS-kee | the husky |
| der Kanarienvogel | kah-NAH-REE-en-FOH-guhl | the canary |
| das Kaninchen | kah-NEEN-chuhn | the rabbit |
| der Kater | CAT-er | the tomcat/male cat |
| die Katze | KAHT-stuh | the cat |
| der Labrador | LAH-brah-DOOR | the labrador |
| das Meerscheinchen | MEHR-SHVINE-chuhn | the guinea pig |
| die Maus | MOWS | the mouse |
| der Papagei | pah-pah-GUY | the parrot |
| das Pony | POH-nee | the pony |
| der Pudel | POO-del | the poodle |
| die Ratte | RAH-tuh | the rat |
| die Schildkröte | SHILT-kroe-tuh | the turtle |
| die Schlange | SHLAHNG-uh | the snake |
| der Siamkater | ZEE-amh-KAH-ter | the siamese cat |
| der Wellensittich | VEH-len-ZIT-tich | the budgerigar (“budgie” bird) |
| der Welpe | WEL-puh | the puppy |
| die Wüstenrennmaus | VOO-sten-ren-MOWS | the gerbil |
German farm animals
Agriculture has been vital to sustaining life in Germany for hundreds if not thousands of years, and we can see this in the similarities in the names of animals in German to their English counterparts. This proves the deep historical connection to the creature and how this connection can withstand the test of time and the linguistic expansion of newly forming languages. Now you can be a part of this tradition by memorizing this list of German names for farm animals.
| German Animal and Article | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| der Bulle | BOOL-eh | the bull |
| das Dromedar | DROH-meh-dahr | the dromedary |
| die Ente | EN-tuh | the duck |
| der Esel | AYE-sel | the donkey |
| das Ferkel | FEHR-kuhl | the piglet |
| die Gans | GAHNS | the goose |
| das Huhn | HOON | the chicken |
| die Henne | HEN-uh | the hen |
| das Kalb | KALP | the calf |
| die Kuh | KOO | the cow |
| das Lama | LAH-mah | the llama |
| das Lamm | LAM | the lamb |
| das Maultier | MOWL-teer | the mule |
| das Mutterschaf | MOOT-er-SHAHF | the ewe |
| der Ochse | OHX-uh | the ox |
| der Pfau | PFOW | the peacock |
| das Pferd | PFEHRT | the horse |
| der Rammler | RAHM-ler | the buck rabbit |
| das Rentier | ren-TEER | the reindeer |
| das Schaf | SHAHF | the sheep |
| der Schäferhund | SHEY-fer-HOONT | the sheepherding dog |
| die Schnecke | SHNEK-uh | the snail |
| das Schwein | SHVINE | the pig |
| die Stute | SHTOO-tuh | the mare |
| das Trampeltier | TRAHM-pel-TEER | the camel |
| der Truthahn | TROOT-han | the turkey |
| der Uhu | OO-HOO | the owl |
| das Wiesel | VEE-sel | the weasel |
| der Ziegenbock | TSEE-ghen-BOC | the billy goat |
| die Ziege | TSEE-guh | the goat |
German marine animals
Sometimes naming animals in German requires getting yourself wet! Dive into deep waters with the aquatic German animals listed here:
| German Animal and Article | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| der Aal | AHL | the eel |
| die Auster | OW-ster | the oyster |
| der Barrakuda | BAH-RAH-KOO-DAH | the barracuda |
| der Blauwal | BLOU-vahl | the blue whale |
| der Blobfisch | BLOB-fish | the blobfish |
| der Clownfish | CLOUN-fish | the clownfish |
| der Delfin | del-FEEN | the dolphin |
| der Dorsch | DORSH | the cod |
| der Fächerfisch | FAE-cher-FISH | the sailfish |
| der Flusskrebs | FLOOS-krebs | the crayfish |
| die Flunder | FLOON-der | the flounder |
| der Garnele | gar-NEH-luh | the shrimp |
| der Hai | HIGH | the shark |
| der Hammerhai | HAH-mer-HIGH | the hammerhead shark |
| der Hering | HEY-ring | the herring |
| der Hummer | HOO-mer | the lobster |
| die Jakobsmuschel | YAH-kops-MOOS-schel | the scallop |
| der Kalmar | KAL-mar | the squid |
| der Kabeljau | KAH-bel-YOW | the Atlantic cod |
| die Koralle | koh-RAH-luh | the coral |
| die Krabbe | KRAH-buh | the crab |
| das Krokodil | kroh-coh-DIL | the crocodile |
| der Kugelfisch | KOO-gel-fish | the pufferfish |
| der Lachs | LAHX | the salmon |
| der Laternenfisch | lah-TERN-nen-FISH | the lanternfish |
| der Makohai | MAH-koh-high | the mako shark |
| die Makrele | mah-KREH-luh | the mackerel |
| der Manta | MAHN-tah | the manta ray |
| die Meduse | meh-DOO-zuh | the jellyfish |
| die Muräne | moo-RAEH-nuh | the moray eel |
| das Nilpferd | NEEL-pfehrt | the hippopotamus |
| der Pinguin | pin-GWEEN | the penguin |
| der Plattfisch | PLAHT-fish | the flatfish |
| die Robbe | ROH-buh | the seal |
| der Rochen | ROH-ken | the ray fish |
| der Rotfeuerfisch | ROHT-FOY-er-FISH | the lionfish |
| der Schwertfisch | SHVERHT-fish | the swordfish |
| der Seehund | ZAY-hoont | the harbor seal |
| der Seeigel | zee-EE-gel | the sea urchin |
| der Seeotter | ZEE-ohter | the sea otter |
| der Seepferdchen | zee-PFEHRD-chuhn | the seahorse |
| der Seestern | ZEE-shtehrn | the starfish |
| der Stör | SHTOER | the sturgeon |
| der Thunfisch | TOON-fish | the tuna |
| der Tintenfisch | TIN-ten-FISH | the octopus |
| die Venusmuschel | VEH-noos-MOO-shel | the clam |
| der Wal | VAHL | the whale |
| das Walross | VAL-ros | the walrus |
| der Zackenbarsch | TSAH-ken-BARSH | the grouper |
| der Zwergwal | TSVERKH-VAHL | the pygmy whale |
Animals from the savanna
The African savanna looks starkly different from Germany’s black forest, but you’ll still want to know the German words for Africa’s famous animals. Incorporate your next safari into your list of German phrases by studying this group of animals in German commonly found in the savanna.
| German Animal and Article | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| die Antilope | AHN-tee-LOH-puh | the antelope |
| der Beinenfresser | BI-nen-fres-ser | the bee-eater |
| der Büffel | BOOH-fel | the buffalo |
| das Dikdik | DEEK-DEEK | the dik-dik |
| der Elefant | el-EH-FANT | the elephant |
| das Erdferkel | EHRT-FEHR-kel | the aardvark |
| der Gepard | GEH-pahrt | the cheetah |
| die Giraffe | gee-RAHF-fuh | the giraffe |
| das Gnu | GNOO | the wildebeest |
| der Honigdachs | HOH-nig-DACS | the honey badger |
| der Hyänenhund | hoo-YEH-nen-HOONT | the African wild dog |
| die Hyäne | hoo-YEH-nuh | the hyena |
| der Ibis | EE-bis | the ibis |
| der Impala | im-PAH-lah | the impala |
| der Leopard | LEH-oh-PAHRT | the leopard |
| der Löwe | LUH-vuh | the lion |
| die Manguste | mahn-GOOS-tuh | the mongoose |
| die Marabu | MAH-RAH-boo | the marabou stork |
| das Nashorn | NAHS-horn | the rhinoceros |
| das Pangolin | PHN-GO-lin | the pangolin |
| der Pavian | pah-VEE-ahn | the baboon |
| der Perlhuhn | PEHRL-hoon | the guinea fowl |
| der Sekretärvogel | ZEHK-reh-TAER-voh-gel | the secretary bird |
| die Springmaus | SHPRING-mows | the jerboa |
| die Strauß | STROUS | the ostrich |
| das Stachelschwein | STAH-hel-SHVINE | the porcupine |
| der Termitenfresser | tehr-MEE-ten-FRES-ser | the termite eater |
| das Warzenschwein | VAHRT-sen-SHVINE | the warthog |
| der Wildhund | VILT-hoont | the wild dog |
| das Zebra | TSEH-brah | the zebra |
@dw_berlinfresh Oddly specific German STRIKES AGAIN! The last one is just…
♬ Animal Crossing / Atsumori-style cute piano solo(1069497) – sano mika#berlin #germany #germanlanguage #learninggerman #cultureshock #livingabroad #lifeingermany
Names for German animals in the rainforest
These German animal names come from the tropical, humid rainforests of the world. Many of them are comprised of German words that can seem comical at times, like Faultier (sloth) that literally means “lazy animal.” See if you can spot any other points of German humor in the list here:
| German Animal and Article | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| die Anakonda | AHN-ah-CON-dah | the anaconda |
| der Aguti | ah-GOO-tee | the agouti |
| der Ameisenbär | ah-MIGH-zen-BAEHR | the anteater |
| der Anolis | AH-noh-lis | the anole |
| der Ara | AH-rah | the macaw |
| die Baumschlange | BAWM-SHLAHN-guh | the tree snake |
| der Brüllaffe | BROOL-AH-fuh | the howler monkey |
| der Capybara | KAH-pee-BAH-rah | the capybara |
| das Faultier | FOWL-teer | the sloth |
| der Frosch | FROSH | the frog |
| der Giftpfeilfrosch | GIFT-pfyle-FROSH | the poison dart frog |
| der Glühwürmchen | GLOO-wuerm-chuhn | the firefly |
| der Gorilla | go-RIL-ah | the gorilla |
| der Jaguar | YAH-gwar | the jaguar |
| der Kakadu | KAH-KAH-DOO | the cockatoo |
| der Klammeraffe | CLAH-mer-AH-fuh | the spider monkey |
| der Kolibri | koh-LEE-bree | the hummingbird |
| der Lemur | LEH-moor | the lemur |
| der Nacktmull | NACT-mool | the naked mole rat |
| der Orang-Utan | or-ANG-YOU-tan | the orangutan |
| der Ozelot | OH-tseh-loht | the ocelot |
| die Riesenschlange | REE-zen-SHLANG-uh | the boa constrictor |
| die Riesenvogelspinne | REE-zen-foh-gel-SHPIN-neh | the tarantula |
| der Schmetterling | SHMEH-ter-ling | the butterfly |
| der Sonnenbär | ZOHN-en-BAEHR | the sun bear |
| die Spitzmaus | SHPITS-mous | the shrew |
| der Tapir | tah-PEER | the tapir |
| der Termit | tehr-MEET | the termite |
| der Tiger | TEE-ger | the tiger |
| der Tukane | too-KAH-neh | the toucan |
| der Vampirfledermaus | vahm-PEER-FLAY-der-mows | the vampire bat |
| der Zitteraal | TSEE-ter-ahl | the electric eel |
| die Zwergameisenbär | TSVERGH-ah-MY-zen-baehr | silky anteater |
Forest animals in German
Forests in Germany are rich with woodland populations thanks in part to the European beech tree, oaks, and pines. From squirrels to woodpeckers, the animals that live in German beech tree habitats play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. Find out what other creatures rely on this bountiful tree and in the forests.
| German Animal and Article | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| der Auerhahn | OW-er-hahn | the capercaillie (wood grouse) |
| der Bär | BAEHR | the bear |
| das Eichhörnchen | EYEKH-hoern-chuhn | the squirrel |
| der Elch | ELSH | the moose |
| der Fuchs | FOOKS | the fox |
| das Hirsch | HEERSH | the deer |
| der Igel | EE-guhl | the hedgehog |
| das Insekt | in-ZEKT | the insect |
| der Käfer | KEH-fer | the beetle |
| das Kitz | KEETS | the fawn |
| der Kuckuck | KOO-koog | the cuckoo |
| der Luchs | LUHKS | the lynx |
| der Marder | MAHR-der | the marten |
| der Maulwurf | MOWL-vohrf | the mole |
| die Meise | MY-zuh | the titmouse |
| der Rehbock | RAY-bok | buck (male deer) |
| der Salamander | SAH-lah-MAHN-der | the salamander |
| der Schakal | SHAH-kahl | the jackal |
| der Schwan | SHVAHN | the swan |
| die Spinne | SHPINN-uh | the spider |
| der Specht | SHPEHCHT | the woodpecker |
| das Stinktier | SHTINK-teer | the skunk |
| der Tarpan | TEHR-pahn | the wild horse |
| der Vielfraß | FEEL-frahs | the wolverine |
| die Waldameise | VALD-ah-MY-zuh | the wood ant |
| der Waldkauz | VAHLT-kowts | the tawny owl |
| der Waschbär | VASH-bair | the raccoon |
| die Wespe | VES-puh | the wasp |
| der Wolf | VUHLF | the wolf |
| die Wildkatze | VILT-KAHT-tsuh | the wildcat |
With this handy list of over 200 animal names in German, you’ll significantly expand your vocabulary and have a great opportunity to put your knowledge of the German alphabet to practical use. If you’re looking to expand your German eloquence further, consider one of Rosetta Stone’s live lessons to go beyond vocabulary charts with experienced native speakers.
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