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Vocab: Animals — B2
Animals vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
die Massentierhaltung — intensive animal farming
This compound combines Masse, meaning a large number, with Tierhaltung, meaning keeping animals. It is common in discussions about agriculture, animal welfare and the environment.
Die Massentierhaltung belastet die Umwelt.
Intensive animal farming puts a strain on the environment.
belastet means puts a strain on, and die Umwelt means the environment. Die Massentierhaltung is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb belastet is in position two.
Viele Menschen kritisieren die Massentierhaltung.
Many people criticize intensive animal farming.
viele Menschen means many people, and kritisieren means criticize. Die Massentierhaltung is accusative because it is the direct object of kritisieren; the finite verb is in position two.
Mit der Massentierhaltung verdient die Industrie viel Geld.
The industry makes a lot of money with intensive animal farming.
verdient means earns, die Industrie is the industry, and viel Geld means a lot of money. Der Massentierhaltung is dative because mit requires the dative; the verb verdient stands in position two.
Die Nachteile der Massentierhaltung sind bekannt.
The disadvantages of intensive animal farming are well known.
die Nachteile means the disadvantages, and bekannt means known. Der Massentierhaltung is genitive because it specifies the disadvantages; the plural subject Die Nachteile takes sind.
Massentierhaltungen gibt es in vielen Ländern.
There are intensive animal-farming systems in many countries.
gibt es means there are, and in vielen Ländern means in many countries. Massentierhaltungen is plural accusative after the fixed expression es gibt; the plural ending is -en.
schlachten — to slaughter
schlachten is normally used for farm animals killed for meat and takes an accusative object. Its perfect uses haben: hat geschlachtet.
Der Bauer schlachtet heute ein Schwein.
The farmer is slaughtering a pig today.
der Bauer means the farmer, heute means today, and ein Schwein means a pig. ein Schwein is accusative because schlachten takes a direct object, and the finite verb schlachtet stands in position two.
Der Bauer hat ein Schwein geschlachtet.
The farmer has slaughtered a pig.
der Bauer is the farmer and ein Schwein is a pig. ein Schwein is accusative after schlachten; the auxiliary hat is in position two and geschlachtet goes to the end.
Früher schlachtete man die Tiere im Herbst.
In the past, people slaughtered the animals in autumn.
früher means in the past, man means people or one, and im Herbst means in autumn. die Tiere is accusative after schlachten, and the weak past form schlachtete is in position two.
Schlachte das Huhn nicht im Haus!
Do not slaughter the chicken in the house!
das Huhn means the chicken and nicht im Haus means not in the house. Schlachte is the du imperative; the direct object das Huhn is accusative, and nicht makes the command negative.
Ich würde das Tier nicht selbst schlachten.
I would not slaughter the animal myself.
würde ... nicht means would not, das Tier means the animal, and selbst means myself or personally. The infinitive schlachten stands at the end after würde; das Tier is accusative because it is the direct object.
Der Metzger wird morgen das Rind schlachten.
The butcher will slaughter the cow tomorrow.
der Metzger means the butcher, morgen means tomorrow, and das Rind means the cow or ox. The finite auxiliary wird is in position two and the infinitive schlachten goes to the end; das Rind is accusative.
zahm — tame; docile
Zahm is mainly used for animals that accept human contact. It is the opposite of wild and can also describe a person or activity as unusually harmless or mild.
Der Hund ist zahm.
The dog is tame.
der Hund is the dog. Zahm follows sein as a predicative adjective, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Sie hat ein zahmes Kaninchen.
She has a tame rabbit.
haben means to have and das Kaninchen is the rabbit. Ein zahmes Kaninchen is accusative because haben takes a direct object, and the adjective has -es after the neuter indefinite article ein.
Dieses Pferd ist zahmer als das andere.
This horse is tamer than the other one.
dieses Pferd means this horse and das andere means the other one. Zahmer is the predicative comparative after ist, so it has no ending; als introduces the thing used for comparison.
Von allen Tieren ist die Katze am zahmsten.
Of all the animals, the cat is the tamest.
von allen Tieren means of all the animals and die Katze is the cat. Am zahmsten is the predicative superlative after ist; von requires the dative, shown by allen Tieren.
Der zahme Fuchs kommt jeden Abend in den Garten.
The tame fox comes into the garden every evening.
der Fuchs is the fox, jeden Abend means every evening, and in den Garten means into the garden. Der zahme Fuchs is nominative as the subject, while in den Garten is accusative because it expresses movement towards a place.