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Vocab: Animals — A1 (2)
Animals vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
der Tiger — tiger
Tiger has the same form in the singular and plural. The animal is usually understood as a wild tiger; a person can be called ein Tiger figuratively for being very strong or energetic.
Der Tiger schläft im Gras.
The tiger is sleeping in the grass.
schläft means is sleeping, and das Gras means the grass. Der Tiger is nominative because it is the subject; im Gras is dative because in describes a location.
Das Kind malt einen Tiger.
The child is drawing a tiger.
das Kind means the child, and malt means is drawing. Einen Tiger is accusative because malen takes a direct object; the masculine article changes from ein to einen.
Wir geben dem Tiger kein Futter.
We give the tiger no food.
wir geben means we give, kein Futter means no food. Dem Tiger is dative because it is the recipient of geben, while kein Futter is the accusative thing being given.
Die Streifen des Tigers sind schwarz.
The tiger's stripes are black.
die Streifen means the stripes, sind means are, and schwarz means black. Des Tigers is genitive because it shows whose stripes they are; the noun takes -s.
Im Zoo leben drei Tiger.
Three tigers live at the zoo.
im Zoo means at the zoo, leben means live, and drei means three. Tiger is plural without an ending; im Zoo is dative because it gives the location.
der Truthahn — turkey
Truthahn is the usual word for a turkey in German. Its plural has an umlaut: Truthähne, not Truthahns.
Der Truthahn steht im Garten.
The turkey is standing in the garden.
steht means is standing, and der Garten is the garden. Der Truthahn is nominative because it is the subject; im Garten marks a location with the dative, and steht is in position two.
Wir kaufen den Truthahn auf dem Markt.
We are buying the turkey at the market.
kaufen means buy, and auf dem Markt means at the market. Den Truthahn is accusative because it is the object of kaufen; dem Markt is dative because auf describes a fixed location here.
Ich gebe dem Truthahn Wasser.
I give the turkey water.
gebe means give, and Wasser is water. Dem Truthahn is dative because it is the recipient, while Wasser is the accusative thing that is given.
Das Gefieder des Truthahns ist bunt.
The turkey's feathers are colourful.
das Gefieder means feathers or plumage, and bunt means colourful. Des Truthahns is genitive because it shows possession; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Auf dem Bauernhof leben drei Truthähne.
Three turkeys live on the farm.
der Bauernhof is the farm, and drei means three. Truthähne is the plural after drei; auf dem Bauernhof marks the location with the dative.
der Vogel — bird
Der Vogel sitzt im Baum.
The bird is sitting in the tree.
sitzt means is sitting, and der Baum means tree. der Vogel is the nominative subject; im Baum means in the tree and is dative because it describes a fixed location.
Ich sehe den Vogel.
I see the bird.
sehen means to see. den Vogel is accusative because sehen takes a direct object, and the finite verb sehe stands in position two.
Ich gebe dem Vogel Wasser.
I give the bird water.
geben means to give, and Wasser means water. dem Vogel is dative because it is the recipient, while Wasser is the thing given and functions as the accusative object.
Der Flügel des Vogels ist verletzt.
The bird's wing is injured.
der Flügel means wing, and verletzt means injured. des Vogels is genitive because it shows that the wing belongs to the bird; Vogel adds -s in this case.
Im Frühling singen viele Vögel.
Many birds sing in spring.
im Frühling means in spring, and viele means many. viele Vögel is the plural subject, while singen is the plural verb form; notice the vowel change from o to ö.
der Wurm — worm
Der Wurm normally means a small animal such as an earthworm. In the expression der Wurm drin sein, it is figurative and means that something is going wrong.
Der Wurm ist im Apfel.
The worm is in the apple.
im Apfel means in the apple. Der Wurm is the nominative subject, while im is short for in dem and marks a location with the dative; ist stands in position two.
Ich sehe einen Wurm.
I see a worm.
ich sehe means I see, and einen means a for a masculine object. Einen Wurm is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; the finite verb sehe is in position two.
Der Vogel gibt dem Wurm Futter.
The bird gives the worm food.
der Vogel means the bird, and Futter means food. Dem Wurm is dative because geben takes the receiver in the dative, while Futter is the accusative thing given.
Die Farbe des Wurms ist braun.
The worm's colour is brown.
die Farbe means the colour, and braun means brown. Des Wurms is genitive because it identifies whose colour is meant; die Farbe is the nominative subject and ist is in position two.
Im Garten leben viele Würmer.
Many worms live in the garden.
im Garten means in the garden, and viele means many. Würmer is the plural subject, while im Garten is a dative location; because the location comes first, the finite verb leben still comes in position two.
das Zebra — zebra
Das Zebra is a neuter noun even though it refers to an animal. Its plural is regular with -s.
Das Zebra frisst Gras.
The zebra eats grass.
frisst means eats and das Gras is grass. Das Zebra is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb frisst is in position two.
Das Kind fotografiert das Zebra.
The child photographs the zebra.
das Kind means the child and fotografieren means to photograph. Das Zebra is accusative because it is the direct object; with a neuter noun, das looks the same in nominative and accusative.
Die Kinder geben dem Zebra Äpfel.
The children give the zebra apples.
die Kinder means the children and Äpfel are apples. Dem Zebra is dative because it receives the apples, while Äpfel is the accusative thing given.
Die Streifen des Zebras sind schwarz-weiß.
The zebra's stripes are black and white.
die Streifen means the stripes and schwarz-weiß means black and white. Des Zebras is genitive because it shows possession; the neuter article is des, and the noun takes -s.
Die Zebras laufen schnell.
The zebras run fast.
laufen means run and schnell means fast. Die Zebras is plural and is formed with -s, which is common for some animal names and loanwords.
die Ziege — goat
Die Ziege is the general word for a goat. For the male animal, German uses der Ziegenbock or der Bock.
Die Ziege steht auf der Wiese.
The goat is standing in the meadow.
steht means is standing and die Wiese is the meadow. Die Ziege is nominative because it is the subject, and auf der Wiese uses dative because it describes a location.
Das Kind füttert die Ziege.
The child feeds the goat.
Das Kind means the child and füttert means feeds. Die Ziege is accusative because füttern takes the animal being fed as a direct object.
Wir geben der Ziege Wasser.
We give the goat water.
geben means give and Wasser is water. Der Ziege is dative because it is the recipient, while Wasser is the accusative thing that is given.
Das Fell der Ziege ist weich.
The goat’s fur is soft.
Das Fell means the fur and weich means soft. Der Ziege is genitive because it shows whose fur it is; with a feminine noun, genitive uses der.
Die Ziegen fressen Gras.
The goats eat grass.
fressen means eat when animals eat, and Gras is grass. Die Ziegen is plural and nominative because it is the subject; the verb has the plural form fressen.