Popular pets in German

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Pets are more than just animals—they're companions, friends, and often beloved members of our families. Learning German wouldn't be complete without discovering how to talk about some of our favorite pets in German.

list of pets in german

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Fisch

Fish
Welpe

Puppy
Eidechse

Lizard
Delphin

Dolphin
Katze

Cat
Hund

Dog
Goldfisch

Goldfish
Henne

hen
Seepferdchen

Seahorse
Qualle

Jellyfish
Fink

finche
Seestern

Starfish
Meeresschildkröte

Sea Turtle
Kakadu

Cockatoo
Krabbe

Crab
Hummer

Lobster
Garnele

Shrimp
Tintenfisch

Squid
Truthahn

Turkey
Auster

Oyster
Muschel

Clam
Schnecke

Snail
Frosch

Frog
Chamäleon

Chameleon
Panda

Panda
Papagei

Parrot
Taube

Pigeon
Hase

Rabbit
Affe

Monkey
Schildkröte

Tortoise
Hamster

Hamster
Kanarienvogel

Canary
Maus

Mouse
Pferd

Horse
Schwein

Pig
Schlange

Snake

Popular pets in German - List of pets in German

Fisch Fish
Welpe Puppy
Eidechse Lizard
Delphin Dolphin
Katze Cat
Hund Dog
Goldfisch Goldfish
Henne hen
Seepferdchen Seahorse
Qualle Jellyfish
Fink finche
Seestern Starfish
Meeresschildkröte Sea Turtle
Kakadu Cockatoo
Krabbe Crab
Hummer Lobster
Garnele Shrimp
Tintenfisch Squid
Truthahn Turkey
Auster Oyster
Muschel Clam
Schnecke Snail
Frosch Frog
Chamäleon Chameleon
Panda Panda
Papagei Parrot
Taube Pigeon
Hase Rabbit
Affe Monkey
Schildkröte Tortoise
Hamster Hamster
Kanarienvogel Canary
Maus Mouse
Pferd Horse
Schwein Pig
Schlange Snake

pets in German

Germany is home to an impressive number of pets, with approximately 34 million pets being cared for by German households. This significant figure highlights the integral role that pets play in German culture. Here’s a list of some of the most popular pets that people in Germany keep at home:

der Hund the dog
die Katze the cat
der Welpe the puppy
der Vogel the bird
der Fisch the fish
der Papagei the parrot
die Maus the mouse
die Ratte the rat
der Hamster the hamster
das Kaninchen the rabbit
das Meerschweinchen the guinea pig
die Schlange the snake
die Eidechse the lizard

Common Pets in the German Language

Introducing children to a new language through the topic of pets is an effective and enjoyable approach. Pets are a relatable and visual topic that helps children learn new vocabulary and construct sentences in a foreign language. Here’s a list of common pets in German to get you started.

Common Pets

German	Pronunciation	English
der Hund	[deːr hʊnt]	The dog
die Katze	[diː ˈkatsə]	The cat
das Kaninchen	[das kaˈniːnçən]	The rabbit
der Fisch	[deːr fɪʃ]	The fish
der Hamster	[deːr ˈhamstər]	The hamster
das Meerschweinchen	[das ˈmeːrˌʃvaɪnçən]	The guinea pig
die Schlange	[diː ˈʃlaŋə]	The snake
der Vogel	[deːr ˈfoːɡl̩]	The bird
die Eidechse	[diː ˈaɪˌdɛksə]	The lizard
die Maus	[diː maʊ̯s]	The mouse
der Gecko	[deːr ˈɡɛko]	The gecko
die Schildkröte	[diː ˈʃɪltˌkrøːtə]	The turtle
das Schwein	[das ʃvaɪn]	The pig
das Pferd	[das pɛrt]	The horse

Using Pets to Construct Sentences

Talking about pets can be a great way to practice constructing sentences. Here are a few examples:

Der Hund spielt im Garten.
- (The dog is playing in the garden.)
Die Katze schläft auf dem Sofa.
- (The cat is sleeping on the sofa.)
Das Kaninchen frisst eine Karotte.
- (The rabbit is eating a carrot.)
Der Vogel singt ein Lied.
- (The bird is singing a song.)

Benefits of Learning Pet Names in German

Learning the names of pets in German helps children in several ways:

Vocabulary Expansion: Adds new words to their vocabulary.
Pronunciation Practice: Helps with learning correct pronunciation.
Sentence Construction: Encourages constructing sentences using new words.
Relatability: Pets are a familiar and engaging topic for children.

Learning the names of popular pets in German is a great way to expand your language skills. Below is a list of common pets along with their English translations.

German	English
der Hund	the dog
die Katze	the cat
der Vogel	the bird
der Wellensittich	the parakeet
die Hamster	the hamster
das Kaninchen	the rabbit
das Meerschweinchen	the guinea pig
der Goldfisch	the goldfish

German Animal Words for Pets

In this tutorial, we will explore German animal words, specifically focusing on pets you might find in homes. German uses different articles to indicate the gender of nouns, which we will include to help you learn these words effectively.

Haustiere: Pets in German

Here are some of the most common German animal words used to refer to pets:

German Word	English Translation	Gender	Example Sentence
die Katze	female cat	feminine	Die Katze schläft auf der Couch. (The cat is sleeping on the couch.)
der Kater	tomcat/male cat	masculine	Der Kater ist sehr verspielt. (The tomcat is very playful.)
das Kätzchen	kitten	neuter	Das Kätzchen spielt mit einem Ball. (The kitten is playing with a ball.)
der Hund	dog	masculine	Der Hund geht gerne spazieren. (The dog enjoys going for walks.)
die Hündin	female dog	feminine	Die Hündin ist sehr freundlich. (The female dog is very friendly.)
das Hündchen	puppy	neuter	Das Hündchen ist erst drei Monate alt. (The puppy is only three months old.)

Pet Fish

If you're interested in keeping fish as pets, here are some German words for different types of fish:

German Word	English Translation	Example Sentence
der Fisch	fish	Der Fisch schwimmt im Aquarium. (The fish swims in the aquarium.)
der Goldfisch	goldfish	Der Goldfisch ist orange. (The goldfish is orange.)
der Betta-Fisch	betta fish	Der Betta-Fisch hat wunderschöne Farben. (The betta fish has beautiful colors.)
der Guppy	guppy	Der Guppy ist sehr klein. (The guppy is very small.)
der Skalar	angelfish	Der Skalar hat lange Flossen. (The angelfish has long fins.)

Pet Birds

For those interested in feathered friends, here are some German words for pet birds:

German Word	English Translation	Example Sentence
der Sittich	parakeet/budgie	Der Sittich singt schön. (The budgie sings beautifully.)
der Fink	finch	Der Fink hat ein buntes Gefieder. (The finch has colorful feathers.)
der Nymphensittich	cockatiel	Der Nymphensittich kann sprechen. (The cockatiel can talk.)
der Papagei	parrot	Der Papagei ist sehr intelligent. (The parrot is very intelligent.)

Other Popular Pets

Here are some more German words for other popular pets:

German Word	English Translation	Example Sentence
das Kaninchen	rabbit	Das Kaninchen frisst gerne Karotten. (The rabbit likes to eat carrots.)
das Frettchen	ferret	Das Frettchen ist neugierig. (The ferret is curious.)
das Meerschweinchen	Guinea pig	Das Meerschweinchen ist zutraulich. (The guinea pig is tame.)
der Hamster	hamster	Der Hamster läuft gerne im Laufrad. (The hamster likes running on the wheel.)
die Wüstenspringmaus	gerbil	Die Wüstenspringmaus ist ein nachtaktives Tier. (The gerbil is a nocturnal animal.)

Words for Pets in German

Here are some common words related to pets in German:

American English	German
aquarium	das Aquarium
birdcage	der Vogelkäfig
cat bed	das Katzenbett
pet carrier	die Transportbox
cat food	das Katzenfutter
cat litter	das Katzenstreu
pet passport	der Heimtierausweis
dog collar	das Hundehalsband
dog food	das Hundefutter
dog house	die Hundehütte
dog poop bag	der Hundekotbeutel
goldfish	der Goldfisch
hamster	der Hamster
identification tag	die Hundemarke
leash	die Leine
I caress	ich streichle
I walk the dog	ich gehe mit dem Hund spazieren

Asking About Pets

When you want to learn more about someone's pets, these phrases in German and English will help you ask questions and start conversations about animals.

German	English
Hast du irgendwelche Haustiere?	Do you have any pets?
Welche Haustiere hast du?	What kind of pets do you have?
Kommen deine Haustiere miteinander aus?	Do your pets get along with each other?
Welche Art von Haustier möchtest du haben?	What kind of pet would you like?
Hast du schon mal darüber nachgedacht, dir ein Pony zuzulegen?	Have you ever thought about getting a pony?
Magst du Katzen oder Hunde lieber?	Do you like cats or dogs better?
Was ist dein Lieblingshaustier?	What is your favorite kind of pet?
Wie lange hast du dein Haustier schon?	How long have you had your pet?
Wie alt ist dein Papagei?	How old is your parrot?
Hast du irgendwelche Allergien gegen Haustiere?	Do you have any pet allergies?
Bekommst du deine Haustiere aus einem Tierheim oder von einem Züchter?	Do you get your pets from a shelter or a breeder?

Talking About Pets

Use these phrases in German and English to describe your pets and share stories with friends and colleagues.

German	English
Ich habe eine Katze und einen Hund.	I have a cat and a dog.
Meine Katze ist langhaarig.	My cat is longhair.
Ich habe meinen Vogel, seit ich ein Teenager war.	I have had my bird since I was a teenager.
Mein Frettchen ist ungefähr vier Jahre alt.	My ferret is about four years old.
Mein Hund und mein Kaninchen kommen nicht wirklich miteinander aus.	My dog and rabbit don't really get along with each other.
Ich hätte wirklich gerne einen Bartagamen.	I'd really like to get a bearded dragon.
Ich bin eher ein Katzenmensch als ein Hundemensch.	I'm more of a cat person than a dog person.
Eidechsen sind meine Lieblingshaustiere.	Lizards are my favorite kind of pet.
Ich habe keine Allergien, aber meine Schwester ist allergisch gegen Hundehaare.	I don't have any allergies, but my sister is allergic to dog hair.
Ich habe alle meine Haustiere aus Tierheimen adoptiert.	I've adopted all of my pets from shelters.
Mein Hund geht gerne mit mir wandern.	My dog likes to go on hikes with me.