Common German Wild animals
- der Hase the hare
- das Eichhörnchen the squirrel
- die Biene the bee
- die Spinne the spider
- der Wolf the wolf
- das Frettchen the ferret
- die Fledermaus the bat
- der Igel the hedgehog
- der Otter the otter
- der Hirsch the deer (male)
- das Reh the deer (female)
- der Bär the bear
- der Elch the moose
- die Spitzmaus the shrew
- das Wildschwein the wild boar
- der Löwe the lion
- die Giraffe the giraffe
- der Tiger the tiger
- der Elefant the elephant
- das Zebra the zebra
- der Leopard the leopard
- der Panther the panther
- der Affe the monkey
- der Gepard the cheetah
- die Antilope the antelope
- das Flusspferd the hippopotamus
- der Pavian the baboon
- das Nashorn the rhinoceros
- der Gorilla the gorilla
- das Erdmännchen the meerkat
- das Warzenschwein the warthog
- der Mungo the mongoose
- das Kamel the camel
- das Erdferkel the aardvark
Terrestrial Wildlife
Terrestrial wildlife refers to animals that primarily live on land. Learning their names in different languages can enhance your ability to communicate effectively, especially when visiting places like zoos or natural habitats. This tutorial will provide you with the German names of common terrestrial wildlife and their English translations.
Common Terrestrial Wildlife in German and English
German |
English |
der Hase |
the jackrabbit |
das Eichhörnchen |
the squirrel |
der Wolf |
the wolf |
die Fledermaus |
the bat |
der Igel |
the hedgehog |
der Hirsch |
the deer (male) |
das Reh |
the deer (female) |
der Bär |
the bear |
der Elch |
the moose |
die Spitzmaus |
the shrew |
das Wildschwein |
the wild boar |
Exotic Terrestrial Wildlife in German and English
German |
English |
der Löwe |
the lion |
die Giraffe |
the giraffe |
der Tiger |
the tiger |
der Elefant |
the elephant |
das Zebra |
the zebra |
der Leopard |
the leopard |
der Panther |
the panther |
der Affe |
the monkey |
der Gepard |
the cheetah |
die Antilope |
the antelope |
das Flusspferd |
the hippopotamus |
der Pavian |
the baboon |
das Nashorn |
the rhinoceros |
der Gorilla |
the gorilla |
das Erdmännchen |
the meerkat |
das Warzenschwein |
the warthog |
der Mungo |
the mongoose |
das Kamel |
the camel |
das Erdferkel |
the aardvark |
Wild Animals in German
When exploring the world of German vocabulary related to wild animals, you'll encounter a variety of fascinating creatures. Below are some common wild animals and their German names:
English |
German |
Lion |
der Löwe |
Tiger |
der Tiger |
Bear |
der Bär |
Camel |
das Kamel |
Rhinoceros |
das Nashorn / das Rhinozeros |
Aardvark |
das Erdferkel |
Zebra |
das Zebra |
Hippopotamus |
das Flusspferd / das Nilpferd |
Elephant |
der Elefant |
Squirrel |
das Eichhörnchen |
Hare |
der Hase |
Stag |
der Hirsch |
Deer / Roe Deer |
das Reh |
Owl |
die Eule |
Falcon / Hawk |
der Falke |
Mallard Duck |
die Stockente |
Lynx |
der Luchs |
Beaver |
der Biber |
Raccoon |
der Waschbär |
Wolf |
der Wolf |
The Phrase "Strong as an Ox" in German
In German, the equivalent phrase for "strong as an ox" is bärenstark, which directly translates to "bear-strong".
Hippopotamus: Two Names in German
The hippopotamus is known by two names in German: Flusspferd (river horse) and Nilpferd (Nile horse), referring to its habitat and historical context.
Elephants and Porcelain
To describe someone who is clumsy or awkward, Germans use the phrase wie ein Elefant im Porzellanladen (like an elephant in a china shop).
Woodland Creatures in German
Animals found in forests and woodlands have their own unique German names. Here are a few examples:
English |
German |
Squirrel |
das Eichhörnchen |
Hare |
der Hase |
Stag |
der Hirsch |
Deer / Roe Deer |
das Reh |
Owl |
die Eule |
Falcon / Hawk |
der Falke |
Mallard Duck |
die Stockente |
Lynx |
der Luchs |
Beaver |
der Biber |
Raccoon |
der Waschbär |
Wolf |
der Wolf |
Idioms with Wolves in German
Wolves are featured in several German idioms:
- Ein Wolf im Schafspelz zu sein means "to be a wolf in sheep's clothing", describing someone who hides malicious intent.
- Jemanden den Wölfen zum Fraß vorwerfen translates to "to throw someone to the wolves", suggesting abandonment or sacrifice.
Safari Animals in German
Learning the names of safari animals in German can enhance your language skills and confidence when speaking with native speakers or visiting German-speaking countries. Here are some of the most common safari animals and their translations in German:
German |
English |
der Löwe |
the lion |
die Giraffe |
the giraffe |
der Tiger |
the tiger |
der Elefant |
the elephant |
das Zebra |
the zebra |
der Leopard |
the leopard |
der Panther |
the panther |
der Affe |
the monkey |
der Gepard |
the cheetah |
die Antilope |
the antelope |
das Flusspferd |
the hippopotamus |
der Pavian |
the baboon |
das Nashorn |
the rhinoceros |
der Gorilla |
the gorilla |
das Erdmännchen |
the meerkat |
das Warzenschwein |
the warthog |
der Mungo |
the mongoose |
das Kamel |
the camel |
das Erdferkel |
the aardvark |
Exotic Animal Names in German
Learning the German names for exotic animals can be both fun and practical, whether you're planning a trip or just expanding your language skills. Below is a list of exotic animals along with their pronunciations in German.
German |
Pronunciation (IPA) |
English |
der Tiger |
[deːɐ ˈtiːɡɐ] |
the tiger |
der Elefant |
[deːɐ ˈelefant] |
the elephant |
die Giraffe |
[diː ɡiˈrafə] |
the giraffe |
das Nashorn |
[das ˈnaːshɔʁn] |
the rhinoceros |
das Nilpferd |
[das ˈnɪlˌpfɛʁt] |
the hippopotamus |
das Zebra |
[das ˈt͡seːbra] |
the zebra |
die Hyäne |
[diː hyˈeːnə] |
the hyena |
die Antilope |
[diː ˈantilope] |
the antelope |
der Löwe |
[deːɐ ˈløːvə] |
the lion |
Zoo Animals in German
When visiting zoos like Zoo Leipzig or Tierpark Berlin in Germany, knowing the German names of animals can enrich your experience. Here’s a comprehensive list of zoo animals and their German equivalents:
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 |