Animals

1. der Hund

   Dog

   Usage

   "Ich wurde von einem Hund gebissen" — a dog bit me. Dogs are welcome in German restaurants and on the S-Bahn, though public transport sometimes charges a dog ticket

2. die Katze

   Cat

   Usage

   For the resident cat at a guesthouse. If you react, say "ich bin gegen Katzen allergisch"

3. der Vogel

   Bird

   Usage

   Birdwatching is "die Vogelbeobachtung". The Wadden Sea mudflats are a major stopover for migrating flocks

   Grammar Note

   Plural "die Vögel", with an umlaut

4. der Fisch

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word for the animal and the dish. In northern ports the "Fischbrötchen" — a fish roll — is the local staple

5. das Pferd

   Horse

   Usage

   Riding is "das Reiten". Vienna's Spanish Riding School and the stud farms of northern Germany are the famous names

6. die Kuh

   Cow

   Usage

   A constant on Alpine pasture. Mother cows can charge if you have a dog, and trail signs advise letting it off the lead in a herd. The autumn "Almabtrieb" parades flower-decked cows down from the high pasture

7. das Schwein

   Pig

   Usage

   The animal; the meat is "Schweinefleisch". If you avoid it, say "ohne Schweinefleisch". The idiom "Schwein haben" means to be lucky

8. das Huhn

   Chicken

   Usage

   The live bird; on a menu the meat is "das Hähnchen", or "das Hendl" in the south. The Oktoberfest roast is a "Wiesnhendl"

9. die Ente

   Duck

   Usage

   A park-pond regular. In German a false news story is a "Zeitungsente" — a newspaper duck

10. die Ziege

    Goat

    Usage

    Comes up on farm visits and at cheese counters — "der Ziegenkäse"

11. das Schaf

    Sheep

    Usage

    On North Sea dykes and Alpine pasture alike. In the north they keep the dyke grass short and the soil firm, which is why driving on a dyke is forbidden

12. der Esel

    Donkey

    Usage

    Seen on farms and trekking tours, and famous from the Bremen Town Musicians statue. Applied to a person it means "fool", so keep it for the animal

13. das Kaninchen

    Rabbit

    Usage

    The small rabbit of parks and meadows. The long-legged hare is "der Hase", and the Easter Bunny is an "Osterhase"

14. die Maus

    Mouse

    Usage

    Report one to reception. The bigger kind is "die Ratte". The computer mouse shares the word

15. das Eichhörnchen

    Squirrel

    Usage

    Common in Berlin and Munich parks — and famous as the German word learners find hardest to pronounce

16. der Fuchs

    Fox

    Usage

    Urban foxes live in the parks of Berlin and other big cities. Not dangerous, but do not feed them

17. das Reh

    Roe deer

    Usage

    The small deer of German woodland; the big red deer is "der Hirsch". Watch for them on roads after dark

18. das Wildschwein

    Wild boar

    Usage

    Berlin's boars are famous for wandering into parks and residential streets. Never approach one with young, and never feed them

19. das Murmeltier

    Marmot

    Usage

    A summer sight on Austrian and Swiss high pasture — you hear its shrill whistle first. "Schlafen wie ein Murmeltier" means to sleep soundly

20. der Igel

    Hedgehog

    Usage

    A nocturnal garden visitor and a protected species in Germany — injured ones are taken to an "Igelstation"

21. die Fledermaus

    Bat

    Usage

    Literally "fluttering mouse". Out at dusk by rivers and around old castles. See a doctor if one bites you. It is also the title of the Johann Strauss operetta

22. die Taube

    Pigeon

    Usage

    In every square. Feeding them is banned in many German cities and can bring a fine

23. die Möwe

    Seagull

    Usage

    They go for your food along the North Sea and Baltic coasts and in Hamburg harbour. Cover it when eating outdoors

24. der Storch

    Stork

    Usage

    Nesting on rooftops across north-eastern Germany and Alsace. German folklore, like English, has it bringing the babies

25. die Schlange

    Snake

    Usage

    In Germany the venomous snake is mainly the "Kreuzotter" (the "Aspisviper" occurs only very locally), and sightings are rare. The same word means a queue — "Schlange stehen" is to stand in line

26. die Eidechse

    Lizard

    Usage

    Basking on sunny walls and vineyard terraces. Harmless — no need to chase one off

27. der Frosch

    Frog

    Usage

    Around ponds and wetlands, and familiar from the Grimm tale "der Froschkönig"

28. die Mücke

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Repellent is "Mückenspray" and a bite "ein Mückenstich" — show that word at a pharmacy. Southern Germany and Austria say "die Gelse"

29. die Fliege

    Fly

    Usage

    Comes up in beer gardens. The same word also means a bow tie

30. die Biene

    Bee

    Usage

    If you carry an EpiPen, say "ich bin gegen Bienenstiche allergisch". Confusingly, "Bienenstich" is also a well-known cake

31. die Wespe

    Wasp

    Usage

    The scourge of late-summer beer gardens. Swatting invites a sting, so stay still — and always check your glass before drinking, because they climb in

32. die Ameise

    Ant

    Usage

    Report them to reception if they get into your room. The big wood-ant mounds in German forests are legally protected — do not disturb them

33. die Kakerlake

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Grounds for asking to change rooms. Pest controllers use the other word for it, "die Schabe"

34. die Spinne

    Spider

    Usage

    German spiders are essentially harmless. They come indoors in numbers each autumn

35. die Zecke

    Tick

    Usage

    The insect to take seriously here. Southern Germany and Austria are TBE (FSME) risk zones where vaccination is advised, and ticks also carry Lyme disease. Tell a doctor "ich wurde von einer Zecke gebissen"

36. die Qualle

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    A summer sight on North Sea and Baltic beaches. Tell a lifeguard "ich wurde von einer Qualle verbrannt". The clear ones are harmless; the reddish "Feuerqualle" stings

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