Animals perform many different actions that we describe in German. Learning these verbs will help you talk about what animals do, tell stories, and understand descriptions. Animal action verbs often use the third-person singular form in German (e.g., springt for “jumps,” fliegt for “flies,” etc.), since we usually talk about animals using er/sie/es pronouns (he/she/it).
Let’s look at some important animal action verbs, from simple movements to more specific behaviors:
Basic Movements (Grundbewegungen)
These are simple, common movements that many animals do. They form the foundation of describing animal actions.
Complex Behaviors (Komplexe Verhaltensweisen)
These verbs describe more specific or complex behaviors that animals exhibit. They help you talk about what animals do in more detail.
The dog barks loudly in the garden. Der Hund _____ laut im Garten.
bellt
'Bellt' means 'barks,' appropriate for a dog. 'Miaut' is for cats, 'grunzt' is for pigs, and 'zwitschert' is for birds—none are correct here.
Interaction Verbs (Interaktionsverben)
Animals often interact with each other or with their environment. These verbs describe those social or environmental actions.
Sensory Actions (Sinneswahrnehmungen)
These verbs describe how animals perceive the world around them using their senses.
The dog hears the whistle from far away. Der Hund _____ den Pfiff von weitem.
hört
'Hört' means 'hears,' describing the dog’s auditory perception. The other verbs don’t relate to hearing.
Rest and Care (Ruhe und Pflege)
Animals also rest and take care of themselves. These verbs describe those behaviors.
Summary
You now have a solid list of German animal action verbs across all main categories, along with examples and explanations. This will help you describe and understand what animals do in German.
How do reflexive verbs work when describing animal behaviors, like 'sich putzen'?
The verb is conjugated normally, and the reflexive pronoun matching the subject (e.g., sich) is included (e.g., Die Katze putzt sich).
Reflexive verbs include a reflexive pronoun matching the subject. For example, 'Die Katze putzt sich' means 'The cat grooms herself.' This pronoun is necessary for the meaning.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
